Vision
by Mirai Akina
Summary: Set in an AU. Dominated by Academia and its superior use of Solid Vision, Heartland finds hope in a small group known as the Resistance. When Yuto finds an amnesiac with the same face as one of his comrades, fate decides to change the flow of each of their destinies. Past and present bonds will bring about a revolution, one that Academia is ready for.
1. Arc 1: The Stranger's Hands

_Hello, everyone! Yu-gi-oh Arc-V surely has come a long way, and now that it has breached the 100th episode mark, I have decided to write a new multi-chapter story based off a dream I had. This is set in an AU, so don't expect any duels. Just a random plot from me. Along with writing this, I'm also editing and finishing my cross-over, so updates on this will not come frequently until that is finished. Thank you for your support, and enjoy!_

 _The fun is just beginning!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh Arc-V or any of its related works._

 **Arc 1: The Stranger's Hands**

A groan escapes the girl's parched lips as she registers the sound of a stranger's call. Her mouth is the first to open, and a small portion of her tongue slides out to moisten the dry surface. Her eyes, luminous blue eyes, find the familiar gray clouds obscured by a figure dressed in dark.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Another moan crawls through her throat, this time from the strain of moving her muscles. How long has she been collapsed here? The stranger, seeing her struggle, offers his hand. She accepts the gesture and slowly rises to her feet.

"W-where am I?"

"Heartland." The stranger takes another look at her frail body, dotted with multiple bruises and cuts. She is covered with only the thinnest sheet of linen, but her posture suggests she hasn't noticed the night's cold, merciless hand.

"I do not think I have seen you around these parts. What is your name?" It was hard to note any details of her that stood out other than her eyes. The alley did its job a bit too well.

The girl refuses to speak. Seeing her reluctance, the stranger drops the question and asks another. "Do you remember anything? Of why you're here, or how you got here?"

She shakes her head. Finally adjusting to the darkness, her eyes wander to the arm she has grasped onto: long, lean, and well-toned. His arms can strangle her within a moment's notice, she realizes, and terror implants her to the ground. A cloak hides the rest of his body, but his eyes, those steel-cold eyes, locks her heart in place.

Her hands cannot stop shaking.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you."

That dark, rich, and deep voice of his...how it captures her soul and calms her spirit! Her terror lessens, but he can still see her eyes, the eyes of helpless prey, shiver with her body. He lets go of the girl to unclasp his cloak. The girl feels the fabric touch her shoulder and is immediately surprised at the warmth it generously exudes. She turns to express her gratitude but stops when she peers into his eyes again. Even unveiled, they show not an ounce of emotion, just cold, cold eyes, hardened like the toughest steel.

"There he is!"

"Is that the 'Masked Man'?"

"Look! He has assaulted someone! Get him!"

The stranger curses at the predicament he finds himself in. Taking quick glances between the girl and the incoming officers, he decides to grab the girl's hand and sprint down the alleyway, ignoring the girl's cries of shock. He looks back once and notices the strange bracelet on her wrist.

" _Is that...is she one of them?"_

Yes, he definitely needs to take this girl with him.

"W-wait! W-where are you taking me?!"

"Somewhere safe," he replies back.

…

The "Masked Man" introduces himself as Yuto.

In this city, he explains, the people are ruled by an elusive group called Academia, after its numerous achievements to technology and science that, on the outside, benefits the citizens and their daily life. He claims that Solid Vision, the ability to conjure physical images from the sheer willpower of people, was its most famed and revolutionary of their achievements. Yet, he claims Academia uses Solid Vision to pick off its opponents slowly, brutally, and secretively, scarring them to a life of insanity, before begging for the most humiliating death the group has ever created.

To be turned into a card and then to burn with the rest of the traitors in the biggest ceremonial festival in the city: the Friendship Games.

The girl stares blankly at his story. Yuto heaves a sigh, most likely used to others displaying the same ignorant daze.

"It's fine. Outsiders like you shouldn't get too involved with us."

"N-no, it's not like that. It's just...I don't remember anything...and I feel bad that I should know these things if I really live here...I don't-" her squeaky voice cuts off as she clutches her head. Her bracelet starts to emit pulses of pink energy, with each pulse lasting longer and stronger than the last. Yuto can only shift his eyes away before a card in his pocket begins to glow, this time a royal purple color. The two waves of light collide with each other; the faint cry of a dragon echoes in Yuto's ear.

" _What was that? A dragon...Dark Rebellion...?"_

When the girl's eyes readjusts to the fading light, she sees, for the first time, a different glint in his eyes.

One of surprise. One of confusion. One of hope.

The girl turns astonished eyes to her companion. As he stares back, a name falls from his lips.

"Ruri?"

That name cracks something in the girl's head, and her hands come to contain her headache. A single shred of green and red invades her vision. A boy...a boy was with her laughing, smiling. She hears one word and senses the familiarity of it far more than the city she is currently in. It repeats again and again, staking her identity firmly into her recently awake brain.

A name...her name.

"Yuto...is it?"

"Yes? Are you alright?"

"This Ruri...that's not me. I'm...Yuzu. Hiragi Yuzu."

…

"What is it, Serena?"

Serena, uniformed in Academia's crimson garb, bows before Akaba Leo. He eyes the bracelet on her wrist and hides the joyful grin over his latest success.

"I have returned with news that might interest you."

He nods, and the girl stands, staring into the calculating pupils of the professor.

"The last one has arrived. Unfortunately, she's being hidden by the Resistance. We're awaiting orders on how to obtain her."

Leo wastes no time answering her request. "Take some of our soldiers. You can personally lead the assault. Do not come back until the girl is secure."

The girl bows once again before heading out the door. She feels the glare drilling into her skull, and she lets out an inaudible groan of detest.

" _Hiragi Yuzu...I will pay you back for what you have done for me. It's a promise."_

…

Yuzu is relieved to find another female she can talk to. The battered stadium Yuto calls the Resistance's hideout is almost devoid of women. Her savior reassures that she will be comfortable in time, but the lack of familiarity urges her to hide behind Yuto whenever someone looks their way. When he introduces her to a green-haired girl with the same face as her, Yuzu takes several seconds to stabilize herself. How can this stranger look exactly like her, minus the differences in hair color and clothing? Yuto's companion also looks at Yuzu strangely, but the shock is not there, as if this has happened before. He leaves Yuzu with her, and she takes the thinly-covered girl to her room.

Yuzu breathes a little easier. While Yuto is not bad company, the impression of their first meeting instills in her a fear that she cannot pinpoint. Whether from his intimidating stare or from the lack of familiarity in this city...

More than once, Yuto calls her that name, and she always reminds him that she is not Ruri. While on the way to his hideout, he talks about how he and Ruri would wander the streets and play silly games. She learns of Ruri's brother, Kurosaki Shun, who is struck with grief over Ruri's disappearance that no one can predict his behavior.

Apparently, Ruri was supposed to visit a friend of hers, Rin, but she disappeared without a trace. According to Yuto, Rin has no idea what happened to her.

Rin...the girl Yuzu is talking to right now. Unlike the people in the Resistance, Rin always have a gentle, doting gaze. She has a companion, Yugo he calls himself, who she constantly scolds for his impolite behavior.

Unfortunately, Yuzu's first impression of him involves that side.

Upon opening the door to the Resistance's hideout, Yuto catches sight of Yugo, who was in charge of looking out for any of Academia's soldiers. When he sees Yuzu, fingers are pointed, and Yuto spends much of his patience reassuring him that he and Rin are not "having an affair" as Yugo puts it. Yuzu quickly introduces herself to clear the air, but Yugo instead does a double take, noting her similarity with Rin and Ruri.

Of course, the commotion attracts Rin over, and Yuzu giggles over how she beats Yugo on the head, calling him a superstitious, overprotective idiot.

"That bracelet...it looks like mine."

Yuzu snaps her thoughts back into the present. Rin hands her a school uniform, complete with a maroon skirt and pink shoes. "Have your bracelet lit up yet?"

"Yes...but I don't know why…"

"I'm not too sure myself. When Yugo showed me a card he found on the streets, both it and my bracelet started to glow. Next thing I know, the card showed a dragon. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon…"

The half-dressed girl lifts her hand with the bracelet, allowing Rin to further examine it. There are two bands of silver, bounded at a single point, held together by a silver rose with a pink jeweled center. Rin shifts between her bracelet and Yuzu's, finding that the frame is made of the exact same material.

"Do you remember where you got this?" Yuzu gives the same response as she did to Yuto. Rin smiles gently and then suddenly brightens as an idea hits her. She takes a card out of her pocket and hands it over to Yuzu.

"Here, take this. It's not safe if you don't have a card with you."

"Huh...how does it keep me safe?"

"Everyone has that one single card that helps them out in times of need. I have a feeling this card would suit you best."

Yuzu looks down at the picture of a beautifully pure maiden wrapped in flower petals. Her arms gesture out, as if it wants to accept its new master.

"The Floral Melodious Saint...Bloom Diva…"

The door to their room glides open. Yuto gives a tiny knock to grab their attention.

"Yuzu, are you ready? Akaba Reiji would like to see you."

Yuzu sneaks a peek at her look-alike, the fear and skepticism crawling back into her skin. Rin smiles again, calming her nerves and providing her strength. She is not alone in this world...a fact that solidifies her resolve.

The resolve to find her past and help the people who have taken her in.

"Okay, Yuto. Can I ask you something along the way?"

…

The silence between them is still awkward and tense. Yuzu steals a glance at Yuto and remembers the hand that gripped her as they ran from the gang. She recalls the firm squeeze and the warm tingles of heat that transferred to her hand.

" _He is not going to hurt you. He would have already if he was."_

"Yuto…?"

"What is it?"

"Do you happen to know someone by the name of Yuya…?"

That name...how nostalgic it is to him. Yuya...the person capable of restoring smiles to even the most hardened of people. He placed everything in him, betted that he would be the one to destroy Academia and bring true happiness to Heartland.

But now…

"Yes...I knew him."

His short, yet unexpected answer throws Yuzu off balanced. Finally...a lead on her past! Without knowing, she grabs Yuto's hands, making sure his eyes does not wander away from hers.

"Do you know where he is? He's the only other thing I can remember! Surely he must…" The desolate frown on his face halts her excitement. She scolds herself at her forwardness and inconsideration of his feelings. Stepping away from her rescuer, Yuzu turns her eyes to the cement floor.

"I...don't know what happened to him. He disappeared around the same time Ruri did. Shun was devastated. The Resistance's savior and his sister...vanished without a trace. It takes everything just to keep him from taking on Academia alone. Yuya was only with us a month, but he captured the hearts of everyone. Always smiling despite desperate situations...always reminding us that the future is there for us to grasp."

Yuzu sees now that Yuto is not dangerous, only wounded. Like her, Yuto finds Yuya as a source of hope.

"So why would he disappear on us when we most needed him?"

The bracelet girl dares to pat the boy on the shoulder and takes a good, thorough look at him. His clothes, if not covered by his giant cloak, are tattered. Stitches mar the sides of his shirt, and the tie on his neck is folded sloppily. She notices the bags under his eyes, those guarded, tired eyes.

"I'm sorry. Please ignore my rambling."

"Don't apologize. Any piece of information about him is helpful to me. After all...he's the only clue to my missing memories."

They continue to walk. Yuzu leaves Yuto to the silence, instead choosing to take in her surroundings. People of various ages are performing laborious tasks, from passing food to small children to planning strategies on tattered maps. One fellow waves at Yuto, and he returns the gesture with a defeated smile. Looking back at the girl, he notes the fading purple spots on her leg, wondering if they are hindering her movements.

"Yuzu, are your wounds recovering?"

She nods nervously and praises Rin for her knowledge in first aid. Yuto shifts his gaze to her bracelet once more.

"Your bracelet…"

"Oh...Rin told me she experienced something similar, only with Yugo. She said the card was Clear Wing Synchro Dragon…"

Yuto pulls out a card, showing Yuzu a picture of a dark dragon. "Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon...this is the card I got when your bracelet glowed. Why this dragon came to me or Clear Wing to Yugo, I don't know."

They arrive at one of the walls of the stadium. Yuto presses one of his hands to the wall, igniting an array of colors to race down in jagged lines. They soon converge to form a door, and it dissipates, opening the way to a dark corridor.

As they walk down, Yuto explains more about the Resistance. The group was created when Academia first came to their city, but people did not join until the first Friendship Games occurred. The horror etched on every card that was burned will not escape from Yuto's memory for as long as he lives. Yuzu observes her savior's expression as it changes back and forth between various forms of grief as he describes some of his comrades' downfalls.

"Yuto…"

"I will never forgive them for ruining the city that I grew up in. For stamping on the hopes of those looking for freedom...and for taking away from my most precious friend the very thing he treasures. Academia will pay for what they've done!"

Turning away from the bitter glare he displays, Yuzu goes to her bracelet for comfort. What Yuto says are viable reasons to oppose Academia...but she senses not a trace of motive in his voice.

"Yuto, what exactly is it you're fighting for?"

Her question confuses Yuto. She must not have been listening to him.

"I said it already."

"No…that's not what I mean."

"I don't understand…"

"Yuto...why are you personally fighting Academia?" she asks again.

The boy stays silent, gritting his teeth as he refuses to answer. He feels her eyes on him, pitiful, worried eyes, and replies in the only way he can.

"I'll tell you one day. Now come on. Akaba Reiji is waiting for us."

Reaching the end of the stairs, Yuzu and Yuto enters a simple office. Few sofas dress the room. It is dark, like the entrance, but the glare from multiple monitor screens baths the surroundings with waves of blue. Sitting at a desk where these screens congregate is a silver-haired man. His eyes pierce Yuzu's own blue eyes, analyzing her worth before a word is spoken. Yuto crosses his arms and leans against the wall.

"Akaba Reiji...I have brought you Hiragi Yuzu."

"Thank you, Yuto. You are dismissed." Her savior nods and climbs back up the stairs.

"Yuzu, take a seat. There are things I would like to know about you." The bracelet girl plants herself onto one of the sofas. With his eyes hidden behind thin red frames, Reiji leans over his desk.

"How did you meet Yuto?"

"I-I woke up in an alleyway. Yuto found me and decided to take me here when he was spotted by some weird people…"

"I see...have anything strange happened to you while on the way here?" The sense of fear is back in full force, and Yuzu unconsciously clutches the bracelet on her wrist.

" _Akaba Reiji...he probably knows more about my situation than he lets on...I can't lower my guard around him."_

"No...Nothing happened at all. Yuto only took me here and explained what the Resistance is," she cautiously answers. Yuzu knows that her answer is not enough to get Reiji off her back, but he accepts it anyway.

She feels his gaze rest on her accessory. "That bracelet...did Rin tell you what happened to her?" Yuzu nods again, launching a question of her own. "What exactly is this bracelet? Why does it glow like it did…?" Not knowing that the information she had just given is what Reiji needed, Yuzu sees Reiji relax and leans back into his chair.

"That's something I would like to know, too. However, for now, there are more important things to address." Those purple eyes stab Yuzu's soul once more. Her fear escalates, and her body trembles uncontrollably. Despite this, she finds the strength to ask one question.

"You know Yuya...do you?"

Like Yuto, Reiji's attitude shifts at the mention of that name. His eyes grew colder, more calculating.

"How do you know that person?"

"He's the only thing I can remember besides my name. I must know where he is! Please tell me! If you know anything..."

At her plead, Reiji finally heaves a heavy sigh, spinning his chair so that Yuzu can no longer feel the pressure from his gaze.

"Yuya...is missing. I do not know where or why he's gone."

So even Reiji cannot help her. At this realization, Yuzu lets her tears out, the strain of everything that has happened finally catching up to her. Reiji calls for Rin, and in minutes, the green-haired girl drags the bawling amnesiac out of his office.

Once Reiji can no longer hear the echoes of Yuzu's tears, he clears his throat, signaling the person by the entrance to come inside.

"So...Yuto...her bracelet resounded with you."

He nods once and hands Reiji the card. While he examines the dragon, Yuto speaks up.

"You may not know where Sakaki Yuya is...but you do know that Yuzu was supposed to be connected to Yuya, not me. Is that correct?"

Yuto's superior lets out the smallest of grins. "Yes, that's correct. It would seem...that everything will take an interesting turn." He hands back Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon to Yuto.

"Do you curse the fact that you're connected to Yuzu, not Ruri?"

"...That doesn't matter. What matters now is finding Ruri and Yuya and defeating Academia. My feelings are irrelevant."

Reiji keeps his miniature smirk plastered on. Yuto is being stubborn...as always.

"That's true...you've never cared for yourself anyway."


	2. Arc 2: Unobtainable Past

**Arc 2: Unobtainable Past**

Yuto finds himself strolling through the streets again. Akaba Reiji had sent him out to gather even more information for the Resistance's next move, but the exhaustion is finally catching up to him. Leaning against a wall in one of many alleyways, Yuto closes his eyes in an attempt to rest.

" _Hiragi Yuzu...the girl who knows Sakaki Yuya...another person with Ruri's face…"_

Yuto pulls out the card granted to him by Yuzu's bracelet. _"Dark Rebellion...one of the four dragons that can bring about a revolution...Akaba Reiji wants to gather all four together…we may have Clear Wing, but what are the other two…?"_

A rush of adrenaline floods Yuto's blood. Someone...someone is coming. Putting the card away, Yuto descends further into the darkness of the alley.

An Academia soldier jogs over to his commander, informing her of news she probably already can tell. Serena keeps her indifferent gaze at Yuto's barely visible form.

" _Yuto...if it's for Yuzu's sake...I don't mind being the Resistance's enemy. You may not forgive me, but please keep Yuzu safe...until the day I find Sakaki Yuya."_

…

Over at the Resistance's hideout, Yuzu wakes up to the sight of fried eggs and toast on the drawer next to her bed. As she stretches her drowsiness away, a knock vibrates through the room. Rin and Yugo invite themselves in, with Yugo carrying a cup and a pitcher of water.

"Have a good sleep, Yuzu?" Yugo greets with his usual mannerism.

She nods once, still overcome by his rather formidable first impression. Rin, sensing this, nudges Yugo, and he pours a cup of water to hand to the girl.

"I'm sorry if Yugo came off as overbearing. He does mean well, and I'm sure you'll get used to it," her lookalike says with another one of her warm smiles. It makes Yuzu wonder why she is with the Resistance. From what she knows of her, Rin wouldn't hurt anyone...unless it's Yugo.

"You should eat your breakfast soon. There are things that we have to show you, since you're going to be under our protection for a while."

Yuzu stops reaching for a slice of toast at her last statement. "Protection...from Academia? But I haven't done anything to upset them," she protests.

"That's true. Academia does not have any business with someone like you, but if that's really true, then Yugo and I wouldn't be here too," says Rin. Her tone sounds more distant, and Yugo decides to embrace his companion as his own way of comforting her.

"We were just ordinary people who decided to take a vacation in Heartland. Then one night, Rin sensed that someone had been following us. We both decided to raise our guard, but Rin was almost kidnapped by that person who was following us when Yuto showed up and fought him back." Yugo drops his usual playful smile for once, replaced with a look Yuzu is very familiar with.

So he longs to go back home…

"After all that, Yuto said that he can use Rin to draw out Academia and demanded we come back with him. Of course, I told him off, but when I really looked at him…" Yuya's face flashes before Yuzu, aligning with Yugo. Rin notices Yuzu make the connection and continues Yugo's story. "I was surprised too. How did this complete stranger have the same face as Yugo? Yuto also seemed shocked because he called me Ruri…"

"This was before Ruri went missing right?"

"Yes. Ruri was the sweetest girl I've ever met. At the time, there wasn't much security over Ruri since the Resistance didn't know Academia was going to target her. His plan to lure out some of their soldier quickly disappeared when Ruri vanished. But in the short time I've known her, we had a strong connection...unlike Yuto and Yugo. Those two are so stubborn at first. It didn't help that they have the same face, so people often called them by the wrong name."

Yugo pouts at Rin's recollection. "I told them so many times that my name is Yugo! Honestly, how can they mix up our names?! Our hair color is completely different, and we obviously have different personalities!"

"After Ruri's disappearance, some of the Resistance started to doubt us. They often whisper about how we're the ones who turned their luck for the worse. And Ruri's brother...never forgave me. He often shouts that if only Ruri haven't met me, if only Yuto didn't take us back!"

Sniffing back a few tears, Rin sinks further into Yugo's arms. Yuzu suddenly didn't feel like eating her breakfast.

"I apologize, Yuzu. It's been awhile since I've opened up to people since Ruri went missing. Yuto and Yugo are the only people who regularly talk to me. I guess...seeing you give me a warm feeling, like I can trust you."

"Rin…"

The green-haired girl wipes her tears away and continues with her story. "It's kind of funny now that I think about it. Only when Ruri vanished did Yuto and Yugo set aside their differences. You would normally think that Yuto would also hate us."

Yugo interrupts her. "Maybe...but I think Yuto partly blames himself for what happened to Ruri, and that he knows it's not our faults. But because of her gone, Shun and Yuto rarely talk to each other. Back then...they were so close, like true comrades. Nowadays, we're the ones he goes to."

"That is true...and there's also the issue with Yuya. Yuto and the others looked up to him. While Yugo and I never met the guy in person, Yuto would tell us how his optimism is contagious, and how he always managed to bring smiles to everyone, regardless of their past. To have him disappear as well...it's no wonder the Resistance's frustrations and despair are dumped onto us. We're mere outsiders…"

Yuzu cannot find the words to say. How does one respond to that kind of loneliness, that kind of despair? And yet...even though it was just a small piece...she understood how they felt.

"Rin, Yugo...thank you for telling me what's inside your heart. If you don't mind, I would like to know you two better."

"Of course, Yuzu," Rin says.

"I don't have a problem with that. Welcome aboard, Yuzu!" Yugo grabs her hands and comically shakes them vigorously. "Alright! Now we'll definitely beat these Academia people and get back home! Rin, I'm heading out!" Throwing Yuzu's hands without hesitation, Yugo rushes out the door, shouting something about bringing his helmet.

"That Yugo...always charging into things head first. Yuzu, hurry and eat your breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us."

Finally able to reach over to the plate of food, Yuzu had never been more grateful for Rin's hospitality.

…

It isn't common to see Kurosaki Shun wandering the streets. Each time he is spotted, however, the people know to give up a portion of the sidewalk for him unless they want to shove their way into his dead list. A vibration from his pocket stops him in his tracks, and he scowls at the name on his D-pad.

"What is it, Akaba?"

"Yuto just reported that a number of Academia soldiers are surveying Sector 13-B. Apparently, they are being led by that girl, Serena."

Just the news he needed.

"You are to find Yuto and discover their motives. Do not engage the enemy."

At this, Shun lets out one of his infamous groans. "I'd rather beat them to a pulp and turn them into cards. Let them taste some of the pain the Resistance feels. Why do you insist with this cowardly, behind-the-scenes approach?"

"We don't need unnecessary attention aimed at us. Serena has the advantage, so engaging her head-on is probably what Academia wants. Remember, we move only when they do."

"That kind of thinking won't bring Academia down! The longer we stall, the more comrades we could lose! I can't believe you of all people are leading us!"

"Your opinion of me does not matter right now." His response is capable of sending any normal person the signal to stop arguing, and Shun unfortunately yields to him.

"Fine...tell Yuto I'm on the way."

The call hangs up, and Shun's scowl only deepens its mark onto his face. _"I swear...I'll bring back Ruri with my own hand...even if the Resistance rejects me!"_

…

Yuto knows Serena had seen him. She always has a sharp eye for the tiniest of twitches.

Even though it has been two weeks since she backstabbed them, Yuto cannot find the reason for her betrayal. It was out of the blue, uncharacteristic of her, and devastating to the Resistance. He remembers it clearly. Yugo and he were out looking for Serena after hearing about her not coming back to headquarters. What they found was her defeating several members of the Resistance, turning them into cards. Once she secured the cards, she proudly proclaimed her change in loyalty and dashed off into the night, leaving Yuto to report the unforeseen event to Reiji.

The familiar buzz of a motorcycle snatches Yuto's attention like a promise of sweets. A white motorbike pulls up against the building Yuto is atop of, and the driver takes off his helmet.

"Hey, Yuto! Got anything for me to do?"

"Yugo...you seem really eager today."

"Of course! Yuzu and Rin are getting along great, and I guess that got me excited to do stuff. So, what are you up to?"

"Serena has been spotted. Akaba Reiji wants me and Shun to investigate."

At the mention of her name, Yugo's supercharged energy converts into irritation.

"That traitor...if there's one thing I don't forgive, it's betrayal."

"A sentiment I share with you, Yugo. Follow me then. I'll take you to where she is."

Already jumping onto the next rooftop, Yuto does not look back to see if Yugo is following.

"Hey, slow down a bit!" Yugo shouts, revving up his motorcycle to full speed.

…

"So, Rin, what do you and Yugo do on a regular day?"

"Well, I'm in charge of helping the wounded. There are only a few people with first aid experience, so even if the Resistance doesn't trust me, they can't kick me out. Yugo usually scouts the area and pick up groceries for the kids. Being an outlier does have its perks, since Yugo is never questioned about his alliance."

On the way to Rin's workplace, Yuzu observes multiple members carrying around some sort of device on their wrist. She looks back at Rin and finds that she does not have one.

"Rin, what are those things on their wrist?"

"Oh, those are called D-pads. It's implemented with Solid Vision, so any card you place on it becomes real. Almost everyone in Heartland has one."

"How come you don't have one?"

"The Resistance did not bother to give me one. It's a device exclusive to Heartland, after all. If you're wondering, Yugo does have a D-pad, but it is attached to his motorcycle."

"But you should get one, right? How are you supposed to defend yourself?"

"That's...what the Resistance is for. Yuto promised that I would be safe as long as I stay here. If the enemy can't breach our defenses, then there's no danger of me being kidnapped."

"That wasn't the case...for Ruri, right?"

"Yes...Shun did not join the Resistance until Ruri was gone. They lived close by, so often, I would come by their house and have dinner with them. Both of them were happy people. Shun cared deeply for Ruri, and Ruri always made sure to return her gratitude. Of course, the shock of seeing a complete stranger have the same face as his beloved sister stunned Shun at first, but after a while, he opened up to me and Yugo. Ruri probably didn't mind that we look the same because it did nothing to hinder our friendship. Yugo and Shun have such a weird relationship, like Yugo's relation with Yuto. Shun often liked to taunt Yugo for having the same face as Yuto and would call him by the wrong name or make food that Yuto likes but Yugo absolutely despises."

"They sound like happy memories," Yuzu dreamily comments.

"They were...and we continued to make them until that day. Out of pure curiosity, Ruri decided to visit my place for dinner. Shun, having to work late that day, trusted me to take care of her while he's gone. But she never arrived, and Shun spent countless nights searching for her. Once he realized that she was not coming back, Shun immediately marched up to our hideout and demanded to see our leader."

"The Resistance's leader...Akaba Reiji. What's his reason for fighting?"

"You seem awfully set on that question, Yuzu."

Her pink-haired counterpart eyes the bracelet on her wrist. "It's just...I don't understand why Academia would try to control a city like Heartland. What could possibly be gained from all this?"

Rin continues to look straight ahead. "I wish I knew the answer."

They enter a small tent. A few people with varying injuries all look up at Rin with wary eyes, but it must be a common reaction, for Rin pays no mind to them.

"Rin, who is she?" a girl around ten gestures to Rin's companion.

"Oh, her name is Yuzu. She'll be helping us out, Sayaka." Satisfied with her introduction, Sayaka bows as she states her name.

"Nice to meet you, Sayaka."

"Nice to meet you too. But Rin, why does she have the same face as you and Ruri?"

"That's something I don't know. Whatever the reason, I'm sure Akaba Reiji will figure it out. Now, Sayaka, can you give me some gauze?" The lilac-haired girl runs off to the opposite side of the tent. "Yuzu, I'm going to teach you how to patch up an open wound." Her counterpart nods and drops down to her knees. Their work is coated in silence...until Sayaka, in a panic, whispers into Rin's ear.

"Oh...this is bad. Yuzu, can you do me a favor and tell Yugo we ran out of milk?"

"But I thought-"

"Right, that's a bad idea. Here, let me ask someone for a D-pad."

She asks the person who she is currently treating for the device on his wrist. The person debates at first that he will not let anyone touch it, but after a particularly cold dab to the open wound on his face, he relents.

"Yugo, are you there?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"We ran out of milk. Can you go get some?"

"Actually, I can't go grocery shopping today. I'm helping Yuto with the rounds. Hey, you can send Yuzu instead!"

"You idiot! There's a reason why I'm asking you!"

"Yugo, is that Rin?" Yuto butts in.

"Yeah. Apparently, we ran out of milk."

"Rin," Yuto's face now occupies the screen, "I'll meet up with Yuzu after we finish this area. Tell her to meet outside the stadium. Yugo, let's go."

"Wait! Rin, is there anything-"

"I'm going with or without you, Yugo."

"Can't you give me a couple of seconds?! And he's going without me...bye Rin!"

Once Yugo hangs up on his friend, Yuzu lets out a gleeful laugh. Rin and Sayaka stares at her, confused over her sudden outburst.

"S-sorry. It's just that...you guys really get along, despite what others might say." Her green-haired twin's smile finally glows with mirth, and the tent now houses two harmonious laughs.

"I guess you're right. There's always something good in a sea of misfortune."

…

"It looks like she's scouting for something."

Yuto and Yugo, now off of his bike, are now spying on the traitor from a few rooftops away. Unaware of their presence, Serena continues barking orders at her less-than-capable officers.

"So, what do we do?"

"Wait until she slips her motive and then report back to Reiji. Confronting her now is pointless."

"What do you think is the reason for her betrayal?" Yugo wonders aloud.

"Who knows...but whatever it is, it must have shaken the ideals she holds true. Serena is not the kind of person to turn back on her comrades," answers Yuto. They jump to the next roof, both landing on their feet flawlessly.

"Hold it right there, Serena!" Yuto instantly cringes upon hearing Shun's bitter tone catches Serena's attention.

"Kurosaki Shun...I'm not surprised that you're the one stupid enough to pursue me."

"Enough! I will take out every one of Academia's soldiers, regardless of their background. Now, traitor, prepare yourself!"

Serena only glares harder at her former comrade. A few soldiers move to intercept Shun, but Serena waves her hand, signaling them to stand down.

"I see you haven't changed a bit since Ruri's disappearance. Tell me, are you positively sure it was Academia who took her away? What proof do you have of that?" Gritting his teeth at the sound of her taunt, Shun clutches his fists even tighter. That damned smirk she had did not lessen at all!

"What proof?! Why else would you take an innocent person other than to brand her as an enemy?!"

"If that's true, then we have no reason to take Ruri. She has done nothing wrong."

"Don't mess with me!"

Yugo, sensing the anger in his voice increase dramatically, whispers to his dark-haired comrade, "This is bad...if Reiji finds out…"

"I know. Let's hurry and clean up the situation. We can't keep Yuzu waiting for too long."

"After you then," Yugo lightly gestures.

Wasting no time, Yuto jumps off the building to land in front of Shun. Yugo follows suit, and Serena finds herself facing two more of her former comrades.

"Yuto...Yugo…" she addresses.

Yugo's dark-haired lookalike does not give her a piece of his attention, for he instantly turns around to glare at Shun.

"Yuto, get out of my-ARGH!"

A sharp blow to his stomach stops his command. Serena and her soldiers all gasp as Yuto punches Shun, rendering him unconscious.

"Ah, the infamous 'Yuto Knockout' punch. I never thought I would see it in action," Yugo jokes in the same light-hearted tone.

"Stop naming such mundane things. Let's retreat."

Perching Shun onto his shoulder, Yuto waves one hand to the traitor, signaling his intent to depart. Yugo, letting his grin drop, runs to his motorbike and starts it up. It wasn't until Yuto is halfway mounted onto Yugo's bike then Serena finally finds her voice again.

"Wait a minute, Yuto! Come back here!" Serena shouts. Her D-pad activates, and her soldiers follow suit.

"Hit it, Yugo."

"You got it!"

And before anyone can move a muscle, Yugo hits the accelerator. One ear-piercing screech later, the motorcycle takes off in a flurry of white and green. Serena curses out loud as she watches their retreating backs.

"Serena, what do we do now?"

"Split up and follow them. They might lead us to Hiragi Yuzu."

Yuto looks back and finds two soldiers pursuing them. Knowing Serena, there will be others blocking the way soon.

"We have to lose them somehow!" the driver groans out.

"Can't you have Clear Wing teleport us?"

"You know I can't control where we end up!"

"It doesn't matter. Use it now."

Yugo's frown only deepens, but he pulls out his dragon and pours his heart into his command.

" _Come on, Clear Wing. Send us to where Rin is!"_

The card lets out its trademark blend of colors, enveloping his bike in a blinding light. The soldiers trailing them all stop in their tracks, averting their eyes away from their target.

Yuto feels his body disintegrate, a feeling now becoming more familiar to him as he spends more time with Yugo. The motorcycle scatters away into a storm of green droplets, leaving Serena's underlings no choice but to walk back and report to her of their failings.

When Yuto finally regains his vision, he sees not a distant part of town, but the bewildered expression of Yuzu as she runs up to them, asking in her withdrawn voice how they magically appeared like that. While Yugo boasts about him having powers (to which Yuto wants with all his heart to deny, but can't due to the twinkle in Yuzu's eyes that reminds him of Ruri), Yuto helps Rin carry Shun over to her tent.

Unbeknownst to them all, the cards Yugo and Yuto possess are now respectively glowing green and pink.


	3. Arc 3: The Starving Rebellion

**Arc 3: The Starving Rebellion**

Casually strolling into one of Academia's secret rooms, Yuri lets his patent sadistic grin crawl onto his face. Oh, how he waited to take a glimpse at the beauty at the end of the room!

It is the perfect setting. She will be in the corner, slowly backing away from him as he draws closer, widening her eyes as he kneels down to look into those hypnotic pink eyes.

"No need to hide from me. I won't hurt you," he calls into the darkness.

The predicted movement of his prey sparks the light in Yuri's eyes. His mocking steps intensifies the fear his captive exudes, and a chuckle, light but cruel, escapes his lips.

"I only want to see you, my dear. Come out into my arms."

He hears the whimpers, unconsciously drawn from her lips, resonate sweetly in his head.

"W-w-what do you want from me?"

Ah, so she does have a voice. Like everything else about her, it is beautiful and pure, full of innocence and fear. He is now at eye level with her, cornered just like he wants.

"Nothing you cannot give. All I want is you."

The tears are falling now. The girl ends up in fetal position and continues to avoid eye contact with her captor.

"W-why won't you just turn me into a card already?"

"A card? Why would I do that? You're more beautiful as a human."

"S-stop! I don't know what I did, but please! Spare me!"

"You know I can't do that. The Professor worked so hard to get you here."

"W-why me?"

"That's for the professor to know." She lets out yet another pained whimper. "Ah, but don't worry. I'll be your company for a while. I hope you get comfortable with me."

The captive sinks further into the ground. A touch of silver reflects a beam of moonlight, revealing the intricate feather patterns of her bracelet.

"What a cute bracelet. Where did you get it?" She shuts her mouth forcibly, as if staying silent is a foreign concept.

"Not going to talk? I was starting to like your voice, too. That's okay. I'll have more time to hear it."

The girl is saved when a knock and a call for Yuri beckons her captor away from her. He has a short conversation with one of the new soldiers, something about the Professor having another assignment for him.

Yuri, irritated that he can't stay with his captive anymore, slams the door after the soldier leaves. Once again approaching the girl, he stretches out a hand, demanding with his eyes to accept him.

"I'm afraid I have matters to attend to. But before I depart, may I hear your name?"

"...I-I'm not telling you. You already know it."

"Eh? What a shame, but that's fine. As a welcoming gift, I'll give you my name. I am Yuri. Nice to meet you," he properly introduces. The girl finally makes eye contact with her captor, and in that instant, the room is bathed with yellow light.

…

" _Yuya, why are you out here?" The boy quickly raises his goggles up, releasing his built-up tears onto the balcony._

" _I'm just thinking about what was on the news today...about Heartland being run over by this Academia. I can't stand to see them suffer like that."_

" _It currently is a shock. How can they take over so fast?" Yuzu stares at the setting sun, her gaze distraught and concerned._

" _Yeah...not to mention this happened before we leave for Heartland."_

" _Yuya...do you still want to go?" she asks._

" _Of course! I've been waiting so long to visit. They say Heartland is like a utopia."_

" _Right, Yuya...like utopias exist."_

" _Hey! It's all in the perspective! I think it's almost a perfect place to be."_

" _Almost isn't enough, Yuya!"_

" _Maybe I'll be able to make the people in Heartland smile! Even if just a little, I want to make a difference in other people's lives."_

" _Maybe...you always have that ability to cheer up anyone."_

A high pitched scream followed by the sound of someone crashing into the floor wakes Yuzu up as if she was electrocuted.

"Yugo, how many times do I have to tell you that this is my private room, and that you will see me later?!"

"But Rin! Who knows what might happen to you when I'm not around!"

"I will not be watched like some test subject! Out the door you go!"

"Hey! My name is Yugo, not-"

"That's not what I meant!"

Their bickering attracts Yuto, who is already up and about, waiting for his daily assignment. Once he enters the room, he instantly ducks as Rin throws Yugo's helmet out the door.

"I'm glad that you two are as lively as ever, but you're scaring our new guest," Yuto points out, gesturing to the startled girl currently ducking her head under the cover. While Yugo cringes as soon as his eyes rest onto Yuzu, Rin lets out a nervous laugh, pulling her own sheets over herself.

"Sorry, Yuzu. It seems that no matter how many times I tell him, he always comes into my room without permission."

Her counterpart only pokes a small portion of her head out of the blankets. "I-I see…" she meekly says. Her eyes rest onto Yuto, and she suddenly remembers what she was dreaming about.

"Yuto, I think I recovered a piece of my memories."

"Really? What is it you remembered?"

"It was...before we came to Heartland. Yuya and I were discussing about Academia's attack on Heartland, and how Yuya was going to help the people smile there. I think...the city we were in is Maiami City."

"Maiami City...that sounds familiar," Yugo butts in.

Yuto's eyes widen. "That's because Maiami City is where Akaba Reiji came from! It's also the home of famous entertainer, Sakaki Yusho."

Yugo copies Yuto's shocked face at the mention of that name. "Sakaki Yusho...he's not too famous from where I'm from, but whenever he is shown on television, the kids at our orphanage would spend hours watching him. He's Yuya's father, right?"

"That's correct," Yuto affirms, "Sakaki Yusho did a show here not too long ago. I remember Ruri talking about it, saying how his show attracted the hearts of everyone in the audience. After that, he disappeared from the public…"

Two collective gasps, one from Yuto and one from Yugo, ring out at once.

"Yuto, when was it he had that show?!"

"A month and a half ago…"

"That's when Yuya joined us! I've always wanted to meet him, but Akaba Reiji probably tried his hardest to keep us apart. How come you get to hang out with him, Yuto?"

"My theory is that Reiji is trying to set up precautions. Having two people of the same face together might have been safe, but what would happen if you have three people of the same face together? It might have been proven disastrous to everyone."

"How would he know? Is it related to the information he has from Academia?"

"Now that I think about it, I remember walking into his office and looking at some of the things he was researching. One of them was notes about four boys with dragons and the power that can be obtained once all four dragons are united," Rin conjures, finally removing her blankets and joining the conversation.

"Was there anything that can be used to stop Academia?" Yuto questions.

"No...not particularly. Besides predictions of which boy aligns with which girl, there was a section stating how the Professor is specifically targeting the girls with the bracelets."

"Wait, so that person who was chasing us that night…?!"

"Most likely a member of Academia fulfilling the Professor's orders. It was a good thing that Yuto showed up when he did."

"That doesn't explain why Academia would want you, Ruri, or Yuzu. Just what are these bracelets and dragons? Why would we be the ones to have them?"

Yugo sits next to Rin, grabbing her bracelet to examine it once more. "And another thing, why would Reiji predict which bracelet resonates with which dragon? What does that have to do with anything?"

Yuto and Yuzu choose this moment to turn to each other. Yuzu sees Yuto's shoulders tense ever so slightly, and she, with a tone full of isolation, mutters Yuto's thoughts.

"I was not...supposed to resonate with Yuto."

Both Rin and Yugo almost spring forward. "What do you mean, you're not supposed to resonate with Yuto?!" Yugo blurt out.

Yuto saves Yuzu from explaining to them. "It's just as you heard. According from Akaba Reiji, I'm supposed to be connected to Ruri, while Yuzu is supposed to resonate with Yuya. And yet, neither of these happened. And...he won't explain why those predictions are what they are, or why this anomaly has occurred."

The room falls silent. Yuzu now feels Yuto's glare, crushing her heart with waves of regret. His dragon starts to glow faintly, pushing its light against the dark skin of the box on his waist. Curses aimed at destiny for bending fate, remorse over his failure to protect his precious comrade...all of his negative emotions is conveyed to her, terrorizing her blood with pricks of fear more powerful than those present at their first meeting. His anger and despair grow stronger, beating against her fragile head, causing her to seize up and crawl backwards.

She can't breathe. She can't breathe. She cannot breathe!

Her hands move to clutch her throat, but before she can scrape her neck, her bracelet glows bright pink, and the stranger vanishes before her eyes.

…

Akaba Reiji hurries to his desk when a series of alarms goes up, lighting his dark room with the dreaded color of red.

"What's this? A powerful energy gathered in our base?"

Gliding his fingers along the holographic keys, Reiji picks up a video of Yuzu attempting to grab her throat. A blinding light engulfs the screen, and he finds one less occupant in the room.

"Interesting...so her bracelet is capable of doing that…"

He saves his newfound information in one of many files on his monitor. "Rin's bracelet is able to direct the location of Clear Wing's teleportation powers, and now...we are able to teleport people directly."

Something nags him, however, and he adjusts the frames on his face. "But what triggered her bracelet?"

He opens the video again, this time rewinding it back to the start of their conversation. Most of the things his subordinates discussed are details he already noted, but when Yuzu mentions the issue about her resonance, Reiji glares at Yuto's expression.

" _I see...that bracelet is her last resort."_

Leaning back into his chair, the Professor's son lets out a strangled chuckle.

…

Yuto hates teleporting, even when he has no choice but to use it. It makes him feel insignificant, the notion similar to getting swept up by the wind. No one knows where he goes, and no one cares.

Plus he will never get used to having his body disintegrate into hundreds of tiny balls of light.

So when Yuzu's bracelet engulfs him in pink light, his posture stiffens. He sees white, and for a fleeting moment, he finds a lump in his throat.

When he is able to feel his surroundings again, Yuto's feet touch solid ground, and he is instantly relieved that he will not be freefalling today (the first time Yuto teleported with Yugo, they ended up over the ocean, and Yugo spent several hours retrieving his motorcycle from the watery depths). The shock of being forcibly transported still runs in his blood, and Yuto has to bend on one knee to erase the pulses of adrenaline.

" _Why would her bracelet send me away? Nothing out of the ordinary happened, right?"_

Taking in the close view of Academia's headquarter, Yuto realizes that he is deep in enemy territory. "This is bad...I need to get out of here," he mumbles, already in position to sprint his way across the city.

"Oh, what do we have here?"

Yuto stumbles at the stranger's voice. Damn, caught already.

" _No choice but to confront him then."_

The first thing he sees is his own face, etched with a sinister grin that gives away the person's sense of superiority. Even though his eyebrows are bushier than Yuto's and his hair sticking up like a rabbit's ears, the resemblance is there. Neither seems distracted over the fact that they look alike.

"Oh, you must be one of my counterparts. The Professor told me all about you guys."

A chance to gather information! Yuto plays along, determined to answer some of his lingering questions.

"Your name?"

"How rude of me. The name's Yuri, a member of Academia. It's a pleasure to meet you...Yuto."

" _Not surprising that he knows me. I'm probably the most monitored person that Academia tracks other than Shun,"_ he thinks, never letting his glare down for a second.

"What business do you have with me?"

"I could ask the same to you, suddenly appearing out of the blue like that. You know, you could do a better job of sneaking around."

"I didn't want to be here."

"Oh, is that so? Well in any case, now that I have you in my sights, I cannot allow you to escape. Tell me where Hiragi Yuzu is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he bluffs, his mind thinking furiously of a way to get him out of this situation. Yuri drops his smile for a sneer.

He can't be serious right?

"You honestly think I'm going to believe that? I've never heard of a more ridiculous idea."

Great, his evil counterpart is mocking him.

"Hmm...I should have known that you would be like this. Maybe if I share something with you, you'll be willing to tell me?"

" _What is he up to?"_

"If you tell me where Yuzu is...I will tell you where Kurosaki Ruri is."

This time, Yuto cannot stop the surprise from showing.

"What did you say?!"

…

Yuzu faints after her bracelet sends Yuto away.

Rin and Yugo instantly try to rouse her from her prone state, but Rin diagnoses that Yuzu will be out for a few hours.

"How can this happen?" Yugo groans out in distress. Rin's gaze falls onto Yuzu's bracelet, frowning when she recalls the way the bracelet lights up.

"Poor Yuzu…"

"What do you mean?"

"I believe the shock of having Yuto look at her that way triggered the intense fear inside of her. When Yuto first introduced me to Yuzu, I couldn't help but notice how she constantly flinches whenever Yuto looks at her."

"Honestly, he could be a bit gentler with the girl. She just lost her memories and has no place to go. Surely, he understands that she doesn't need frightening people on her back."

"My main concerns are her wounds. They don't look like injuries you can get from fistfights. Instead, she had a lot of internal bleeding."

"Like someone was beating her?! I bet that's why Yuzu-"

"No, I don't think so. Yuzu seems comfortable enough to talk to Yuto; it's just that meeting Yuto like she did instilled some fear into her. It'll go away once they work things out and actually talk to one another."

"Then why was she lying in an alleyway?"

"If I were to guess, she was probably pursued by Academia."

Their conversation stops when movement from Yuzu's bed snatches both of their attention. The girl starts to fidget, but it soon turns into writhing as she struggles to contain the pain she is suddenly feeling. Her bracelet emits its familiar pulsations, albeit a bit dimmer than Rin is used to.

"Yuzu!" they both shout.

"...Yu...help…"

Rin and Yugo look at each other. Who is she talking about, and why is she calling for help?

"...Help...Yuto...in trouble...card…" she stops talking, slumping against the soft mattress.

"Yugo."

"No need to tell me twice. I'm off!" Yugo exclaims. Before he leaves the room, he turns to his childhood friend. "Rin, guide me," he pleads. The green-haired girl clutches her bracelet, nodding in agreement at his request.

"Of course. You'll be lost without me anyway."

…

Yuto is paralyzed.

This...bastard has kidnapped Ruri. He's the reason his relationship with his closest friend is now strained. He's the cause of so much suffering for him and Shun.

"You…! How dare you take Ruri!"

"How rude, assuming that I'm the one to take Ruri. I'm merely her guardian of sorts."

"I don't care! Give her back!" Far gone in his rage, Yuto activates his D-pad, his left hand itching to release his gifted dragon.

Yuri activates his own device. "I never knew that girl meant so much to you. It'll make things more...entertaining later. Fine then. Let's have some fun before I turn you into a card," he mocks.

Before a single word can be uttered, however, a sudden bright light blinds them both. The familiar rush of wheels screeching to a stop diverts Yuto's attention from his villainous twin.

"Yuto, are you alright?!"

The panicked, almost desperate concern of his comrade would normally worry Yuto, but the intense rage flowing through his blood prevents him from thinking rationally. He ignores his ally and crouches into a fighting stance.

"Hey, listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

"I don't have time for whatever it is you need to say. The enemy is right there, and I need to take back what he has stolen from us!"

He leaps into the air. "Formed from the pitch black darkness to fight those foolish enough to oppose its treacherous claws! Descend, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!" he chants. A portal swirls open, releasing a pillar of light that illuminates the dready city. Yugo hears a cry of a powerful beast, a screech higher in pitch than his own dragon's. The sound of thunder crashing heralds the dragon's arrival, and the sky is burnt with the sight of luminescent blue lightning. Another cry breaks through, and the turmoil vanishes to unveil a dragon with a skin of total darkness. Its long, pointed chin stands firm, aimed at Yuri's indifferent gaze.

"A dragon...so you also have someone connected to you."

Yuto, however, does not reply.

Yuri lets his sneer fall for a genuine look of concern. "What's wrong? I know you're not very vocal, but still…" he stops when he finally lands direct eye contact with his counterpart. Yugo, who still haven't turned around to face his Academia twin, gasps at what Yuto has become.

"What the…?!" Both counterparts shout out.

Yugo cannot see the cold, yet gentle eyes that Yuto normally possesses. Instead, a pair of stinging purple light has taken their place. Yuto's stance also does not reflect his usual nature, as his posture demonstrates the hunger of a predator ready for its long-awaited meal. He growls an inhuman snarl and mutters a mantra that makes Yuri shift nervously.

"Destroy...destroy...destroy…"

Dark Rebellion's cries align with his chants, and the resulting sound causes Yugo's heart beat sporadically, making him lean against his motorcycle for support. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon then starts to glow, releasing its green light to battle against Dark Rebellion's own purple glow.

"This pain...what is this…?!"

Clear Wing stops flashing after a few seconds. Finding that the sensation has dulled considerably, Yugo deduces that Clear Wing has reduced his pain enough so that he can move again.

"Yuto! Snap out of it!" Yugo calls to his comrade, but his cry falls on deaf ears, for Yuto still has those accursed glowing eyes. The wielder of Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon points his finger at Yuri, and the darkness exuding from his dragon increases tenfold.

"Go, Dark Rebellion! Tear everything to shreds! Revolt of the Lightning, Disobey!"

As the dragon roars, the orbs on its wings crackle with more lightning, triggering its hidden wings to appear. Its proud chin begins to absorb energy, glowing in the same blue color that coats the frame on its back.

Power. What exhilarating power! The Academia soldier starts to sweat as the power continues to overflow. If Yuri wasn't the target of its rampage, he would have given Yuto a small piece of respect.

"YUTO!"

Yugo's scream could have pierced the heavens. He sits there helpless after calling Yuto's name several more times, shocked over what his friend has become.

And never before has Yugo ever felt so powerless.


	4. Arc 4: Heartland and the Four Bracelets

**Arc 4: Heartland and the Four Bracelets**

The Professor watches his prized soldier shudder under the gaze of Dark Rebellion and its master. He notes the strange pair of light that has shrouded Yuto's eyes, internally overjoyed that his predictions are coming true.

Only two more, and then he can fulfill his ultimate goal! Finally, after months of bitter stagnant progress, his vision will come to fruition!

The door to his office opens, and Serena enters the room with a defiant glare.

"Ah, Serena. I've heard about your recent failure. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The girl lowers her head, clenching her fists in an attempt to calm herself down.

"No, I do not. I have attempted to follow them as they retreated, but they suddenly disappeared, as my men have reported. Forgive me."

Akaba Leo grunts, choosing to accept this as a valid reason. "Those two boys have very powerful weapons on their side. The four dragons...must be united at once. I've already told you how to activate its full power, Serena." His tone demands that she recite the information to him, like a test.

"Only if the four bracelets guarding the four dragon's powers are separated from the dragons will they unleash destruction onto the world."

"Correct. And do you know why we must unlock this devastating force?"

She hesitates, her mouth drained of moisture. What he is aiming for...is utter madness, but as she looks at her captor, she sees his eyes, cold and merciless.

"To...create the utopia that we have dreamed of."

"Good, Serena. Now, go attend to our captive. I'm afraid she has not responded to any of our men after Yuri visited her. Maybe she'll take a liking to you instead."

"Of course, Professor."

Serena turns around and breathes a sigh of relief. It looks like the Professor will not lock her away today.

"Kurosaki Ruri, Rin, Hiragi Yuzu. My counterparts...please have the heart to forgive me for your suffering."

...

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon continues to charge its attack. Citizens of Heartland cower back into their homes as thunder shakes the city. The dreary atmosphere that is regularly present intensifies tenfold, causing some of the people who are left on the streets to scream in fright.

Yuri grits his teeth and reaches for a card in his pocket. Maybe if he uses that, then…

But before Yuri can make a move, Yugo shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Yuto!"

If Yuri wasn't in a desperate situation, he would have laughed.

Yugo, on the other hand, is distraught. The enemy is behind him, and his possessed comrade in front...the situation is really against him.

Is this what Yuzu was muttering about?

If so, then there's only one thing he can do.

"I have no choice then. I'll have to knock him out!"

His D-pad activates, and Yugo clutches his treasured dragon. Inside of him, he calls to Rin, praying that he will not end up like Yuto.

" _Rin, please give me the strength to save my friends!"_

"Here I go!" Three circular rings, dyed in the purest shade of green, hang themselves above Yugo. Yuri hears the cry of another dragon, one of determination and resolve. The dragon's roar echoes relentlessly into his ear, and he finally drop to his knees.

" _What is this? The Professor didn't say anything about a third dragon in this city. That means... he's one of them?"_

"Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down our enemies at light speed!"

Another pillar of light beats down the tattered streets of Heartland. Two pairs of wings, their color the same as the rings that activated the portal, emerge from the monument. Yugo slams the card onto his D-pad and beckons his partner.

"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

Light disperses, but unlike Dark Rebellion, no signs of malevolent power are present. Opposite of its brethren, Clear Wing shines with the color of virtue. Its body is more battle-hardened, and the arms can easily squeeze the life of its prey. The dragon's eyes are more intimidating than Dark Rebellion's, but Yuri finds a gentler demeanor in this dragon.

With its fierce and unforgiving structure, the creature stands in front of Yuto, shielding its master from the heart wrenching sight of an unexplainable darkness posing as his friend.

"Just you wait, Yuto! I'll be here to save you this time!"

…

Rin stares at her bracelet as it lets out its green pulses. She can feel Yugo's desire and hopes that she has contributed what little power she has to him.

"Yugo, please bring Yuto back safely," she prays.

"R-R-Rin...is that you?"

Yuzu's parched voice draws her counterpart away from her thoughts. "Yuzu! I'm so glad you're okay! How are you feeling?" The pink-haired girl does not answer, instead choosing to focus on the lit bracelet on Rin's wrist.

"Why is your bracelet glowing?"

"This is my bracelet's power. In addition to being able to control where Yugo teleports if I focus hard enough, I can send my bracelet's energy to Yugo when he needs it."

Yuzu blankly nods, still feeling tired over the events of that morning. Suddenly remembering the horrific visions from her dreams, she springs from the sheet to clutch Rin's shoulders.

"Yuto! Where's Yuto?! We have to find him!"

"Calm down, Yuzu. Yugo is out trying to bring him back. Is he in danger?" Rin asks, recalling the way she gasps for his name, sweating and twitching furiously like someone fighting a huge fever.

"I saw...I saw him calling for help. He...looked trapped, bounded to a wall. It hurts to look at him while he's like that."

Rin cannot say anything to soothe the girl as she breaks down again. She is about to grab a towel from her drawer when a series of rhythmic knocks taps their door.

"May I come in, Rin?" calls the voice of Akaba Reiji.

" _What does he want now?"_

Not one to refuse her benefactor, she opens the door after signaling to Yuzu to hide her distress. The last thing that Yuzu needs is the Resistance's leader's cold, calculating gaze pushing her into an isolated shell.

"Reiji, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I detected a strong burst of energy from your room. May I confirm something with Yuzu?"

Even after living here for a month, Rin still does not trust Akaba Reiji. The Professor's son...the person who is causing this city unnecessary grief and suffering is his father. For all she knows, he could be relaying the Resistance's movements to Academia, hindering the group from within. As for his strange prophetic observations...she shudders to think what would happen if they came true.

"I-It's okay, Rin. There's nothing to worry about," Yuzu attempts to wipe the guarded look on Rin's face. It's no good to distrust comrades, right?

"Yuzu, do you know why your bracelet glowed?"

"My bracelet? No, I do not. Do you know?"

"I believe that the bracelet activates only when you're experiencing extreme danger or fear. In other words...a defense mechanism."

"Defense? But I wasn't…" Yuzu cuts off when she feels a tinge of the paranoia that descended onto her this morning. Yuto has an abnormal amount of anger towards her, despite the fact that he is the one to involve her in his life. The thought sparks something in the amnesiac, a feeling she has not felt for a long time.

Pure, unadulterated fury.

Reiji senses the girl's increasingly bitter mood, for he places a hand on her shoulder. "Hiragi Yuzu, I know what you might be thinking. I want to advise you that Yuto does not mean any harm. He's merely...an unfortunate child." Even Reiji struggles to name exactly what Yuto's problem is.

"Unfortunate?! I don't care if he's unfortunate! It's clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me! If he feels that way, then I don't want to be near him too! I could be out there, gathering information about my past! I could be looking for Yuya right now instead of being trapped here with people I don't know!" Yuzu screams, grabbing her head as the fire inside of her continues to consume her.

Reiji releases her, watching her drop her head down. "Yuzu, may I ask you for a favor?" He suddenly changes the subject.

"What is it?"

"In exchange for helping you find Yuya, can you please look after Yuto?"

"What? Why me?"

"Because I know that inside of you, you have a kind heart that cares deeply for other people. That kindness just might save him…"

Yuzu stares in disbelief at Reiji's request. This man...knows more than he lets on, and Yuzu can't stand people who keep answers away from her.

"How do you know that?" she dares to ask. "Who are you? Just what do you know about me?"

Reiji's frown deepens at her sudden confusion, turning to head out the door. "Yuzu, I hope you are prepared to handle any truths that come your way. Your memory loss can be the biggest boon in your situation. But, if you insist on restoring your past, then I will not stop you." Before he steps out of the room, he tosses something over his shoulder to Rin.

"Rin, take Yuzu to Yuto." It is a simple command, but Rin feels the underlying urgency in his voice. She can't argue with him right now.

"Of course, Reiji."

Gaining her approval, the Resistance's leader briskly walks out of their bedroom. Yuzu climbs out of her covers, finally slipping the school uniform onto her tired body.

"What did he give you?" Yuzu asks after a short silence.

"The keys to my motorcycle," Rin replies, her body frozen in disbelief.

She grips her keys almost desperately, determined to keep her newfound privilege. After dressing into the clothes Rin loaned her, Yuzu is then dragged by Rin to the garage, where her green-haired counterpart proudly presses the unlock button to her bike.

"Grab a helmet, Yuzu. Let me see where Yugo is."

Pressing a few keys on her vehicle, Rin is astonished over the installation of a D-pad replacing her normal tracking device. "I see...is that why he kept me away from my motorcycle this whole time…?" she ponders quietly. After registering herself as the owner of the D-pad, she brings up the map of Heartland, gasping as she pinpoints Yugo's location at the far northeast corner of the city.

"Yugo's deep in Academia's territory. Let's hurry, Yuzu."

"R-right."

Feeling the sensation of the wind blowing in her face for the first time in so long, Rin can't help but release an euphoric shout of glee. With the acceleration at full throttle, her motorbike escorts a laughing Rin and a screaming Yuzu.

"Rin, can't we slow down a bit?!"

"You know we can't do that! Yugo's in trouble." Despite the desperate situation, Rin still has a goofy smile on her face.

"Still, it's too dangerous!" She once again expresses her discomfort when Rin pulls off a rather risky turn.

"Hang in there, Yuzu. You'll be off and on solid ground before you know it. But...it's nice to look around Heartland after staying inside for so long. I didn't really get the chance to explore when I first got here."

Yuzu takes a meaningful glance at the city. The buildings are slightly run down, with some having broken windows or crumbling walls. The streets are relatively clean, but in the alleyways lie a multitude of shivering people bundled together as they fought to stay in the shadows.

"Rin...why are there people out on the streets like this?"

"Ah...that's because Academia is kicking out the citizens of Heartland so that their members are bestowed free housing. If the citizens pledge allegiance to Academia instead, then they can keep their house. However, the people here have a sense of pride that prevents them from switching so easily. Ever since Academia invaded Heartland, it's been an uphill battle for Heartland to take back control. That's why the people who have sworn against Academia either end up in the Resistance or on the streets, like what you just saw."

" _It's so cruel_ ," Yuzu thinks. Seeing suffering in such a form tugs at her heart.

"Rin, can you tell me more of Heartland? How it was before Academia?"

"I'll try my best, but like you, I'm not very familiar with the city. Ask Yuto later after we get him and Yugo," Rin suggests, to which Yuzu nods to.

"From where I'm from, Heartland is described as the source of unique entertainment and miracles. True to its motto, it is truly an utopia, capable of uplifting the spirits of both its residents and its visitors. They say that you have achieved the highest rank of entertainment if you managed to do a show here. I remember Yugo and I wanted to come here for the longest time, and so we saved up all of our money just so we can stay a week. But, before we left, an unknown group known as Academia set its sight on tarnishing that image. When they were first announced to the world, they were simply a company that moved its headquarters to Heartland. The first time they released Solid Vision, the entire city rejoiced. They thought they were entering a new era of entertainment. For half a month, Heartland was in a golden age, so to speak. That is until Academia began using Solid Vision to turn people into cards…"

"How does Solid Vision work, anyway?"

"Right now, it's a work in progress, but essentially, it's a way to project objects into physical reality. The end goal to have your mind think of an image, and then Solid Vision would capture that and convert it into physical matter. Academia, though, apparently figured out that a conduit is needed to establish that connection. They decided that cards were the best way, but that opened up a new problem, not for Academia, but for Heartland. With the ability to summon anything as long as it is depicted in cards, Academia decided to reveal its true intentions of taking over Heartland once they announced the Friendship Games. Yugo and I remembered the first time we went to the event...the sight of people's terrified faces etched into cards, which were then cast away into the bonfire like trash...Yugo and Yuto were in such a hopeless state. The Friendship Games was what solidified Yuto's resolve and what convinced Yugo and me to stay here in Heartland. We all believed that Heartland did not deserve to have its citizens disposed in such a way."

"That's...horrible. I don't know what to say…" Yuzu feebly responds.

"That's fine. Having your support is enough," Rin tries to dissuade her counterpart's helplessness. "Anyway, since cards are used to activate Solid Vision, the soldiers of Academia use them to summon fearsome monsters to do their bidding, though they are most fond of an archetype called Ancient Gear, a category of mechanical killing machines that mercilessly eliminate any target. And so, for nearly a month, Academia has terrorized Heartland to submission, turning people into cards in order to establish power."

"And our bracelets?"

"That I do not have the answer to. We'll have to trust Akaba Reiji for that matter."

A sudden burst of light that renders the surrounding buildings to fade into darkness interrupts their conversation. The two girls hear the sound of two dragons roaring defiantly; the cry of a desperate Yugo calling out to Yuto urges Rin to drive faster.

" _Yugo, hang in there. We're almost there!"_

…

"Clear Wing, I'm sorry to ask you of this," Yugo apologizes to his partner, to which the dragon lets out another cry. Yugo smiles, as if he understands what his dragon is saying.

"If that's the case, then attack Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon! Free Yuto from whatever it is that's possessing him."

Yugo's impressive dragon engages in another song of cries with Dark Rebellion, sending more of that hot-blooded pain into Yugo's body. Yuto does not move an inch, still mumbling the same mantra he started since he summoned his dragon. The wind gathers around Clear Wing, creating a rigid force field as the dragon ascends into the darkened sky.

"Hell Dive Whirlwind Slasher!"

A cyclone has completely engulfed Yugo's dragon, rocking the dilapidated buildings that Yuri, Yugo, and Yuto are on. Clear Wing lets out one final roar of determination before spiraling into Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, encasing the city with a blinding flash. The attack lands, and the three counterparts are swept off their feet, each of them landing clumsily on their feet.

Once the light disappears and Yugo can feel the ground, he sees Dark Rebellion towering over Yuto, but this time, instead of emitting an aggressive aura, the dragon of darkness looks as if it is about to collapse. The beast stumbles twice before failing to keep its balance, and it starts to descend onto Yuto's unmoving form.

"Yuto!" Yugo screams.

Another smaller flash of light forces Yugo to look away. The sound of a vehicle going at high speeds crashes the scene, soaring into the sky onto the building Yuto is on. Yugo can't see who it is due to the bright headlights, but he does see two people riding off to their doom.

"What are you doing?! It's too dangerous! Please stop!" the driver's passenger screeches. The driver chooses to ignore her, speeding her motorcycle up to the collapsing dragon. A sudden bright light, one of a pink color, surrounds the vehicle, and Yuri lets out a surprised cry as he feels his body disappear.

"What the...what's happening to me?"

A moment later, he's blown away by the wind.

Rin sticks her arm out and grabs Yuto, tossing him onto Yuzu's lap with extraordinary strength. His D-pad turns off, causing Dark Rebellion to retreat into his card, which then flies into the passed-out duelist's pocket. Yuzu lets out another high-pitched wail as the boy's body hits her lap. Rin performs a rough stop, sliding up to the edge of the rooftop.

"Well, that was exciting, don't you think, Yuzu?"

Her counterpart, of course, does not respond to Rin poking fun at her, glowing bright red as she readjusts Yuto to sit with his head leaning against her.

"Rin, is that you?! And Yuzu?! What are you two doing out of headquarters?!" He rubs his eyes twice, blinking to see if he's hallucinating. That's...Rin's bike, right? The same bike that he and Rin completed together? The driver takes off her helmet, relishing in the soft breeze blowing through her hair.

"We came here on Reiji's orders. You were taking too long to retrieve Yuto. Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

Yugo grabs Clear Wing's card, which causes the dragon to disappear. "When I got here, he summoned his dragon in order to attack someone. I didn't see who, since I was too busy over the fact that he didn't look the same."

Yuzu hates feeling fear, for it, once again, threatens to grip her throat and choke her. She somehow finds the courage to speak. "I-I saw Yuto bounded up in chains. He was hanging in a dark place, and his eyes were blank, like he lost all reason to keep fighting. Did he look like that?"

"Ah, not really. More like an unknown darkness is controlling him, making him savage. I also felt the desire inside me when I first summoned Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, but Rin's bracelet prevented me from succumbing to it."

"An unknown darkness?"

"Yeah, it's super powerful, the allure of it. Poor Yuto is an easy victim, since he endured so much suffering and anger ever since Academia invaded."

Yuzu jumps slightly when she sees Yuto's grimace. He opens his eyes, reverted back to the gray orbs that he's infamous for, and takes in the sight of Yuzu cradling him.

"Y-Yuzu...what are you…?"

"Are you okay? You're not hurt or anything like that?"

"N-no. My head hurts like hell, but I'm fine." He attempts to move from her embrace, but instantly regrets it as his body lurches forward. Every muscle burns, and his headache increases tenfold.

"Yuto, don't move! I did sort of hit you with everything I had," Yugo rubs his head bashfully, which prompts Rin to start scolding him. Yugo, annoyed that another lecture is going to be drilled into his head, covers both of his ears and starts running around the motorcycle.

"T-that guy...where did he go?" Yuto asks Yuzu.

"I think my bracelet sent him away. Here, rest against me."

He does, slumping against her with a lethargy that shocks her. She then notices the pair of goggles on his head, reminding her of the star-covered goggles that Yuya always had. She gently slides the headgear onto Yuto's eyes.

"What are you…?"

"Yuya always had a pair of goggles that he hides behind."

Her recollection draws a small grin from Yuto, who then enters the world of dreams. Readjusting him until she was comfortable enough, Yuzu calls to Rin to bring them back to the Resistance's headquarter in order to fully check on Yuto's wounds.

"Hey, Rin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think...we'll be able to win against Academia?"

Rin smiles, catching the underlying message of her question.

"I believe we will. With you on our side, Yuzu."


	5. Arc 5: Desire to Fly

**Arc 5: Desire to Fly**

"Yugo, I understand your concern for Yuto," Rin starts, grabbing more headache pills from Sayaka.

"But you're going to suffocate him if you keep holding on to him."

Right now, Yuzu watches as Yugo clings to his dark-haired counterpart, who is sporting a grumpy frown over being treated like a pillow. Visible, comedic tears pour down Yugo's face as he buries his head into Yuto's neck, mumbling something about collapsing into a deep dark pit of despair if Yuto didn't come back.

"Yugo! Let go of him already!" Rin, exhausted after trying to pry his body off of their comrade, sighs out. Yuzu snaps her head back, recalling how Yuya, at one point, wouldn't let go of a big, mysterious person (she thinks it's one of his friends). A metaphorical light bulb pops open.

Yuzu grabs a paper fan and smacks Yugo with all of her might. He collapses, his eyes replaced with exaggerated swirls.

Pushing the passed out boy off of Yuto, Rin takes a few seconds to process Yuzu's actions.

"Ah...thank you, Yuzu. Yuto, take these and sleep for a few hours." Rin hands him some pills. Thanking Rin in his quiet voice, Yuto lays back down on his makeshift bed and swallows the medicine greedily.

"Yuzu? Where did you get that?" Yuto calls.

"I always had this." Her tone suggests that she doesn't know either. He eyes the fan warily, and the girl nervously hides it behind her back.

"So what exactly happened? I don't recall anything from the past few hours," asks Yuto, switching his gaze between Yuzu and the knocked-out Yugo.

Instantly, Yuto's counterpart springs forth from his unconscious state and stares at him, sporting a serious frown.

"I'm also at a loss. You summoned Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, but after you did, something about you seemed off. Almost like you were possessed."

Yuto clenches his fist. He can still feel the allure of power and destruction in his body. "All I can recall is wanting to beat that guy for taking Ruri. I summoned the dragon, but after that...my mind is drawing a blank."

"Wait, that guy you were trying to fight has Ruri?!"

"Yes, but I couldn't get any information out of him…" Yuto looks down, possibly ashamed over his lack of control over his emotions.

Rin is not one to let someone stay down for a while, and she gingerly washes the wound on his arm. "We should tell Akaba Reiji about this."

"Okay."

…

"I see. This boy...he said his name is Yuri?"

"Correct."

The Resistance's leader merely pushes his glasses up and leans back on his chair. Yuto grits his teeth at his somewhat indifferent reaction. Before he can express his thoughts, Reiji addresses the boy again.

"Let me show you the footage of your fight, Yuto."

He types a few keys in, and a screen appears, depicting Dark Rebellion roaring to the sky...and Yuto with blinding purple eyes.

"T-that's me?"

"Yes. You went berserk, and it took Yugo much to knock you out."

At this, he turns to his counterpart, who sheepishly rubs the wound on his head. "This power you possess, Yuto, is dangerous. It's safe to assume your emotions are connected to your dragon, just like Clear Wing. Let anger control your mind, and you will end up hurting more than the enemy."

Yuzu flinches at his statement.

"I will allow you to continue patrolling the city, but under no circumstances are you allowed to summon that beast again until you can correctly wield its power. I will also have Yugo accompany you from now on."

Yuto's face is incomprehensible. His teeth chew harshly into his bottom lip, and his eyes turns a stormy gray. His companions want to rush to his side, but they know that Yuto would push them away...as always.

Despite this, he replies, "Understood."

With a flourish of his cape, he storms out of the room.

Yugo finds the capacity to speak. "Hey, isn't that a bit harsh? He's going through more than you ever did, and you dare to restrain him? It's not his fault that his anger swallowed him whole."

"On the contrary, it is entirely his fault."

This time, it is Rin who speaks up. "What can he do, Akaba? How can one ignore all the suffering, the pain he goes through for the sake of your plans? The Resistance is getting restless, and Academia is becoming more active as of late. We can't keep going on like this. People demand justice."

The Resistance's leader says nothing. Full minutes pass in silence, with neither sides backing down.

"Akaba...Reiji? Can you tell me what you know of Yuri?" Yuzu timidly asks.

"Yuri…" Reiji spits out. He sticks his hand into one of his drawers and places a flash drive in Yuzu's hands.

"Read the contents of this in private. Even I'm not entirely sure what it all means."

His order leaves no room for debate, and the trio exits the office with heavy hearts.

"I'm...going to find Yuto. Let's look at that after I come back with him," suggests Yuzu.

"Okay, I'll go with you," Yugo offers.

"Why?"

"Because I know that he's heading out to his secret spot, which isn't anywhere near here. It's still not safe for you to walk alone."

"Okay, thank you, Yugo. Rin, we'll be back."

"Don't take too long. Dinner's in a few hours."

…

The door to her room opens abruptly. She quivers in the corner, too afraid to confirm the identity of her visitor.

"Ruri, I know you're in here. I need to talk to you."

" _That voice...Serena?!"_

The kidnapped girl scoots closer to the light. Her counterpart walks forward, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm here to ease your nerves."

"That's funny. I'd rather trust Yuri than you, traitor."

"Yuri...why would Yuri come here?"

Ruri clamps her hand over her mouth, her tears pouring down her face. "Ruri, don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to ask you something," Serena whispers as she bend down to the cowering girl. The traitor presses a few buttons on her D-pad, and a click pulls Ruri's eyes up.

"Do you know where Sakaki Yuya is?"

"Sakaki Yuya? You mean the son of the entertainer, Sakaki Yusho?"

"Yes. I must find him at once. Where is he?"

"How should I know? I've been trapped here for days."

Serena keeps her indifferent frown on her face. She hates it when she's mistaken. She thought they would let her roam around the facility, but apparently, this room is her literal prison.

"Why did you betray us, Serena? What have we done to deserve this?"

"It has nothing to do with you or the Resistance. Academia...just suits my needs better."

The captive sinks into her arms, and quiet sobs shake her body. Serena does not move to comfort her. Instead, she rises to her feet and turns to the door.

"Ruri, soon everything will be over. Do not do anything stupid until then."

The room is silent again. Glowing intensely outside her window, the moon's bright light burns her, causing her to scoot towards her dark corner again. She takes one look at her bracelet and silently prays. It starts to glow, engulfing her in a warm violet light.

" _Someone, please. Save me. Rin...Yuto...Brother..."_

Her door slams open again, and she hears someone panting. "Ruri!" that person shouts. The room darkens once more, but Ruri can make out the trademark bangs of Academia's most gifted soldier.

"Are you okay? No one touched you, right?"

Just as his hand is about to rest on her shoulder, she flinches out of his grasp. "W-why do you care? I've been living in fear all this time, and no one even bothered to come. I just want to go home."

Yuri remains kneeled at her side. "You know why I can't release you. The Professor will get angry and destroy your city even more."

"But he's destroying it now! What have we done to deserve this?"

He grits his teeth at her cries. "Ruri, know this. Academia will not hurt you. You're too precious to be turned into a card."

"What do I have that Academia wants?"

She knows she's venturing into uncharted territory. Just when she gets comfortable talking to Yuri, of all people? Is it because he looks so much like Yuto?

Yuto...how she wishes that he is safe and well.

"I don't know. All I know is that the Professor specially ordered us not to harm you...or your counterparts."

" _My counterparts…?!"_

"Speaking of which, I met my counterparts again. The dark-haired one...Yuto, and the annoying one...Yugo."

She gasps. Oh no! Please, don't tell her that…!

"Relax. They're alive still. Yuto, however, had an interesting thing that I think you might want to see."

He taps a few buttons on the device on his wrist, and the picture of Dark Rebellion glares at the frightened girl's face.

"Looks like Yuto's been taken. Too bad."

Ruri understands then. Akaba Reiji is wrong...and now, one of her counterparts have claimed Yuto as his protector. Her heart breaks, and she struggles to hold down the wail that desires to erupt from her chest.

"What a boring dragon too, constantly roaring. I bet your bracelet could have given him prettier wings."

The tears are falling again. Yuri pulls a card out from his pocket and forces Ruri to look at the terror-inducing dragon. "At least I get a wonderful dragon from you. How does it feel...to help the enemy?"

A pitiful sob is his only response.

…

Yuto takes the accursed card from his pocket and glares at it. The power, the anger...the feeling of tearing everything to shreds. It calls to him from the depths of his heart, and what he transformed into was a monster that even his friends could not recognize.

The ocean breeze flicks the ends of his purple bangs. He often wonders what's beyond the horizon. Heartland is all that he knows. He never experiences the rocking sensation of a boat, nor the feeling of flying in an airplane. Before, he had no need for such longing. But now, with outside influences everywhere, Yuto starts to think about what life is like outside his city.

And so often, he sits and dreams, staring for hours at the ocean.

"Yuto!" calls his counterpart.

He turns to Yugo, clutching his dragon in a tighter grip. His bangs hide his stormy eyes, prompting Yuzu to walk forward and timidly touch his shoulder.

"Why did you come here?"

"We're your friends, Yuto! Friends worry about each other."

Yuzu cringes at his optimistic sentence. Yuto doesn't consider her as a friend...just a stranger who was there at the wrong time…

Yuto puts his card away. "There's too many things going on in my mind...too many unanswered questions. Because of that man...I lost everything. And now, I could become a monster."

Yuzu and Yugo exchanges worried frowns, but of course, not one to sulk, Yugo shouts, "Yuto, you can't be like this! We have a war to win, and people to save! Ruri, Yuya, even Shun! And..me and Rin…" He suddenly looks down too.

"We want to go home! We have to continue our dreams! That's why I'm not giving up!"

Yuto seems to sulk even more. "That's right...you do have Rin. But I don't have Ruri…" He turns his stormy eyes to the pink-haired girl, and once again, his card emits pulses of energy, choking the girl.

"Why must my life be stripped away and tore apart? Ruri...Shun…"

Despite the closed feeling in her throat, Yuzu grasps his hand and shakes her head. "Stop, Yuto! If those two see you right now, doubting yourself and afraid, I'm sure that they won't stand for it! I also want to end this war; I want to find Yuya, regain my memories, and make people happy again!"

"Make people...happy?" Yuto questions, shocked.

"Yes...I remember now. Whenever Yuya doubts himself, his father would tell him that he can't be afraid. He must push forward with a smile, and the world will reward him back! Yuya...no, the both of us, we want to make people smile, just like Yuya's father did! That's why I'm staying by your side! You may not accept me yet, but when you finally do, I will help you however I can! I will bring your smile back!"

Both counterparts stare at Yuzu oddly, like she became a different person. Yuto, especially, contemplates on her sudden drive and...fire. Yes, the glow in her eyes, the energy it possesses...it was nothing like Ruri, whose eyes were soft, sweet, innocent, even when the Friendship Games started.

Could this...be the reason why she was chosen instead of Ruri?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks, and both boys laugh.

"Nothing," Yuto answers, "Just that I feel like this is your true personality all along."

…

After Yuri left, Ruri stands for the first time since being trapped in this room. She slowly feels the wall to stabilize herself. One step, two steps...a full foot she walks in the dark room, walking towards the tiny shimmers of light that the door fails to block. Gulping a lump in her throat, she touches the handle of the door slowly, as if expecting someone to open it at that moment.

Only except no one does, and the trapped girl creeps out of the room, nervously looking down both sides of the hallway. She gives herself a quick nod and then sprints down the hallway.

" _I don't know where I am...so first, I have to find my D-pad…"_

She takes a left turn, running down as fast as she can, trying to find something, anything. Seeing an opening on her right, she sprints over to that opening and finds a door in her way.

" _I don't think it's safe for me to go in...last thing I need is to be captured again...but what if my D-pad is in here…?"_

Taking several steps back, she runs back to the main hallway and continues down the never-ending lane. Ruri searches frantically for an exit, stairs, an open door. She flies past a room with a large test capsule, and the person she sees in there made her stop and gasp.

" _It can't be…!"_

"Hey, what are you doing down here?!"

Letting out a gasp of fear, she turns behind her, and the shiny glint of several silver D-pads increases her terror. Ruri instantly soars down the hallway, and the tapping sounds of brand new shoes clatter against the floor.

" _At this rate, I'll be captured!"_ Flashbacks of that lonely room, Yuri's and Serena's faces...all of them compels her feet to move faster. Her lungs burn, but she does not dare to stop. She can't stop, not when she needs to be free!

She stumbles once, barely able to steady herself and keep running. The tapping of shoes echo louder, louder, and Ruri quietly prays for someone to come save her.

" _Please, someone help me...please!"_

Her winged bracelet glows purple, blinding everyone in the dimmed hallway. Ruri hears a gasp from one of the soldiers, and when the light fades...Yuri stands in front of her, crossing his arms as he stands in an annoyed stance.

"Hey, you three. What are you doing?" he calls out.

"W-we saw this girl down here, and we thought she was an intruder."

"Wrong," he harshly reprimands. "This girl is under my custody. You will do nothing to her." An uneasy haze settles over the guards. One attempts to speak up, but Yuri shoots him a twisted frown, effectively injecting fear into his throat.

"Scram before I tell the Professor that you touched his valuable prisoner." They all reluctantly turn away, but the frightened girl does not feel the terror inside of her fleeing with them.

"You...do you know how much trouble I'll be in if the Professor finds out about your little plan here? Why don't you be a good girl and go back to your room?"

Ruri shakes in sorrow. How she wants to see her friends, how she wants to get out and live her life in a more fulfilling way…

Yuri grabs her arm and starts to drag her back to her prison, but she resists, tugging back in an almost desperate manner. The boy continues their tug-o-war, feeling the girl tremble more in his grip.

"D-pad…"

He raises his bushy eyebrows. "Huh?" He lets go, and the girl grasps her arm in an attempt to stop it from trembling. Ruri still keeps her eyes from making contact with him, but she speaks louder. "My D-pad...I want it back. I must know if my friends...my brother...if all of them are okay!"

"And what makes you think I'll let you have it back? You still have your card after all."

"Then you watch over me."

This girl is insane, he thinks. She certainly shouldn't trust him. He widens his eyes then. Maybe her isolation has finally caught up with her and now her desperation is driving her to do dangerous things...like trust the enemy.

He laughs, the absurdity of his thoughts amusing him greatly.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Me? Watch over you? Do you even know what you're asking?"

"Isn't it your job to take care of me? If that's the case, then I'm merely using what little I have."

He grits his teeth, letting out an annoyed _tisk._ Why is this girl so damn persuasive? His heart can't stop...resonating with her. As he stares at the defiant girl, his eyes wander to her bracelet, and for the first time, Yuri wonders if it gave him a curse.

A curse to fulfill this girl's plead.

"Fine. I will get you your D-pad." Ruri visually looks elated. Finally, she can see Shun and Yuto again!

"But!" His voice breaks Ruri's smile, causing to look at him in fear once again. "You are only allowed to talk to your brother, and nothing related to your location or our plans can be spoken from your mouth. Anything else...I don't particularly care."

Ruri gives a firm nod, and Academia's most gifted soldier leads her back to her room, slamming the door behind him.

Moments later, she held her treasured D-pad, and the trapped bird hesitantly presses the picture of her brother.

"S-Shun? It's me, Ruri. I'm alive and well, but I'm afraid I can't come back to you yet."


	6. Arc 6: Mobilization

**Arc 6: Mobilization.**

"Akaba Reiji!"

The silver-haired man barely lifts his head as the familiar squawk of his most unpredictable comrade echoes into the room. Opposite of his mood, Shun barges in with an almost psychotic snarl.

"Kurosaki Shun. What has made you so worked up this time?"

"Don't give me that! You know damn well what my business is!"

"Then elaborate for me," he dares. Ruri's brother shows no sign of letting up, and he flicks his arm to the side, as if to wipe the calculating look on Reiji's face.

"Let me find Ruri!"

He only gets an even deeper, harsher glare. "Oh, and the fact that she contacted you is enough reason to rampage even more on the streets and invoke more fear into the citizens? I do not want to fight a two-way war."

"How do you expect me to sit still when I finally hear from Ruri?! It's the only reason why I'm fighting this war!"

"Okay, then tell me. How do you plan to find her? Has she told you of her location or of our enemies' goals?"

He takes a step back. True, Ruri said nothing of where she is and what they plan to do with her. "She mentioned...that her counterparts are targeted. She also knows of what happens on the streets, how there's hatred everywhere. But I don't understand why she's telling me to leave her alone. Ruri...she looked so afraid!"

Reiji's glasses flash dangerously. "Shun, was anyone watching her as she talked to you?"

"I-I don't know...I was too focused on seeing her alive…"

"Is that so? Interesting…"

He gestures for his D-pad, and Shun reluctantly hands it over to him. The Resistance's leader starts typing into his multiple monitors, and a video clip containing Ruri's face is updated onto his screen.

"Let me analyze this and get back to you. I promise you my answer tomorrow." Reiji turns away from him, leaving no room for debate.

With a resigned groan, Shun leaves the room.

…

Ruri's breath comes out in panicked bursts as she shuts her D-pad off. She can feel Yuri's glare at her neck, as if he's attempting to choke her.

"Good girl. Though, I could go without you telling them that your counterparts are in danger. I am taking care of you after all."

"They already know about Academia kidnapping the girls that look like me. I have to help them however I can."

"You think that'll work? Telling them things they already know?"

She stays silent for a while. "I heard...how my brother is rampaging on the streets, trying to search for me. His bonds with the Resistance, in turn, became strained, and now, he's like a wounded bird who is trying to take on the world." Shaking her head, Ruri clutches herself, attempting to find comfort in the darkness.

"Birds...don't work like that. I know."

Yuri gives a bored expression, but after seeing her forlorn face, something in his heart pricks his blood, and an unfamiliar feeling invades his body.

"You...what are you doing to me?"

"What?" she bewilderedly asks.

Forming a fist over his heart, Yuri glares at the girl. "What...have you done to me? Ever since...ever since your bracelet glowed, I've been having these weird feelings." He stumbles out of the room, slamming the door to the confused pink-eyed girl.

" _What is going on…? This girl...is making me want to disobey the Professor. These bracelets...what are they?"_

…

A week later, when Akaba Reiji made the announcement that Kurosaki Shun will be taking on a secret mission, there was a surge of outrage. Member after member vocally shoot their complaints at the indifferent leader; the most obvious and common of these is how the hell he was approved to take on such a task after striking fear into the heart of the innocent citizens. Their complaints are ignored by their leader, who only gives them the warning that should anyone interfere, he will hand them a swift and harsh punishment.

Of course, during this protest, Yugo is shouting his own dissatisfaction.

"This bastard...what the hell is going on?! I'm tired of sitting here doing nothing!"

"You idiot! Shut up and listen to him! The more we cooperate, the sooner we can go home!"

"Stop being such a nag! I know you want to do stuff too!"

"I am doing things! I work my butt off trying to patch everyone up!"

Yuto continues staring at Reiji, a concerned frown on his face. "Is this Reiji's way of moving things forward? He must have obtained very valuable information." Yuzu glances briefly at her savior, more worried about him than anything else.

"Yuto, Yugo," Akaba Reiji suddenly calls out, giving a colder glare to the more flamboyant boy. "Please see me in my office."

The two boys exchange stupefied looks, but nonetheless follow him with tentative steps.

…

"What?! But I thought-!" Yugo cries out.

Reiji raises his hand to stop him, and then turns his gaze to Yuto. "Will you do it? We must lure Yuri out and capture him. The risks are high, I admit. And destruction is inevitable. Plus we risk putting the girls in danger, but I trust in both of your skills to protect them."

Yuto immediately nods. "We don't have much time. With two girls in their custody and the location of the other two known, Academia will launch an attack on us soon. And, he is the only one who knows what they want with Ruri."

Yugo reluctantly loosens his tense body. "If it means we can go home faster, then I'm up for anything! I will protect Rin with my life."

"Very well. Head to this sector during your patrol. I wish you two the best of luck. Oh, before you go, give Hiragi Yuzu this." He hands them a simple pink D-pad, and the boys stares incredulously.

"W-we're...letting Yuzu fight?" Yuto warily asks.

"Everyone needs a way to defend themselves. I'm sure that Yuzu would want to fight for herself just as much as the rest of us."

"All right! Now the entire gang can beat Academia up! Oh, I have to thank you for giving back Rin's bike!"

"It's merely a strategic play, Yugo. Should I judge that the enemy is too difficult for Rin and Yuzu to fight, I will lock them here again."

"Understood," the both of them acknowledges.

After they leave, Reiji takes off his glasses and sighs in exhaustion. "With this, Academia have to mobilize. They know the risk that comes of letting these two rampage, and the bait would make it even more urgent." Putting back on his red-framed glasses, he flashes back to the video of Kurosaki Ruri's call to her brother.

...

"S-Shun? It's me, Ruri. I'm alive and well, but I'm afraid that I can't come back to you yet."

The girl starts to tear up, wearing a relieved smile.

"Yes, it's me, brother. I hope you're okay!" She then stops, probably listening to Shun's response.

"Yes, they haven't done anything to me. I'm just being kept in this room." Another pause, and the girl hastily shakes her head. "No, no! I'm being fed and all that!"

"I know. I'll do my best to get out. By the way, brother...I heard about what you have been doing. You have to stop scaring the poor people. The Resistance is made to fight Academia, not our city. And even if you're fighting them with everything you have, you're still causing destruction."

A pause, and her frown grows deeper.

"I don't want to be the reason you're causing harm to everyone!"

The call stays silent. Ruri looks over her shoulder tentatively, as if paranoid that her outburst has attracted someone. "Just please be careful. I know the hatred you hold in your heart, but I still don't want to hear my brother being called a maniac."

"Speaking of which, you must not let Rin or any of my counterparts get into Academia's grasp! I don't know what they're doing, but it can't be good!"

He sighs, slightly disappointed. Looks like the information he wants regarding the girls and his father's interest with them will be left unanswered for a while...

"Why I'm calling you now? Oh...umm...I can't tell you."

Reiji raises his eyebrow. Ruri starts to act nervously, the fear starting to visibly escalate in her eyes.

"Where I am…? I-I don't know...the window in this room is too small to see anything useful."

"My D-pad…? I-I just recently got it back." He can feel that the girl is hiding something. She places a hand over the camera, but he could make out a few words.

"...I know...I told you that I won't...I'm almost done…"

The camera focuses on the bracelet girl again, and Ruri gives a sweet smile. "I'm afraid my time is up. I was lucky enough to be able to connect to you. Stay safe, brother. I'm waiting for you to rescue me."

The call ends then, but Reiji presses a button, causing the video to rewind. He stops at the moment she covers the camera, zooming into the glint of purple that he sees in the background.

When he clarifies the picture, even he cannot stop the shock on his face.

" _That card...it can't be!"_

…

Rubbing his temple, Reiji groans at his predicament. _"I hope that this is the right answer. We must know what my father wants with these girls…"_

 **Meanwhile, with the counterparts…**

"What?! He wants to use us as bait?!"

Rin barely is able to control the urge to release her violent tendencies. She knees Yugo with all of her indignation, and Yugo collapses to the floor clutching his stomach.

"Urrgh! R-Rin….!"

She does not give him a passing glance of concern. "How dare he?! He really only sees us as tools! And after he promises me protection from Academia!"

Yuto blesses his counterpart with his sympathy. Yuzu bends down and attempts to comfort Yugo, slowly bringing him back to his feet.

"Is Rin…?"

"At times...Yugo's a tough guy though."

As if to prove him, Yugo jumps to his feet, causing the girl helping him to fall to the floor. "Don't just smack your knee into me like that! I get that you're angry, but why me?!"

"Who else am I going to release my anger on? Yuto will pin me faster than I can lift my leg! And do you expect me to hurt another girl?!"

"You're impossible!"

"No, you are!"

Clearing his throat, Yuto starts walking to the exit. "We should go now before those two destroy a section of our base...again." Yuzu walks hesitantly with him, watching as their counterparts continue to argue and throw jabs at each other.

"Oh, actually Yuzu…" Yuto reaches into his coat and hands her the D-pad. "Use this to protect yourself." She takes the device hesitantly, placing it over her left arm. Her savior waits for her to register herself. When she finishes, it activates, releasing a holographic bar with a yellow border.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she responds back.

…

Kurosaki Shun races across the city in breakneck speed, jumping from building to building with relative ease. Behind him, a crowd of Academia's soldiers hurtle behind, desperate to catch the angry raptor that has caused them so much trouble. An explosion propels him forward, and he turns to find several of those soldiers riding mechanical three-headed dogs.

"Attack, Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog!"

He grits his teeth. While he did agree to this plan, handling 100 soldiers at once is still tedious. He jumps onto the building to his left and watches the attack demolish a rather dilapidated house a fair distance from him.

Shun activates his D-pad and brings out a card from his pocket. He really does need to wipe them out now, regardless of Reiji's orders. After all, why would an outsider care for the safety of another city? This entire plan is proof of this, he thinks.

"Let's go, Rise Falcon."

Meanwhile, Yuto, Yugo, Rin, and Yuzu speed through the streets on their motorcycles. Yuzu still grips Rin abnormally tight, while Yuto keeps a firm grip on the handrail of Yugo's seat expansion. Following the beeping red circle on their map, their vehicles continue their track through the city.

"Hey, there's not that many Academia people around…" Yugo notes, keeping an eye out for any surprise attacks.

"Is it a trap…?" Rin suggests, which causes Yuto to tense.

"It doesn't matter. We have to follow orders," declares Yugo's counterpart. Yuzu looks around her, and she swears that a glint of orange flash in their direction.

"R-Rin, something's coming our way!"

"What? Where?" She glances in the same direction as Yuzu, and indeed, she sees a high-energy beam fly in their direction.

"Rin!" Yugo shouts, already pulling out his dragon to summon.

The beam hits the building between them, and the rubble forces Rin to execute evasive maneuvers to avoid the falling debris. One giant chunk of debris sails over Yuzu's head, and she screams as she ducks.

"Yuzu, are you alright?!" Rin calls out, already having successfully shifted her bike out of the danger zone.

"Y-yes, I'm fine."

Yuto looks back at them and heaves a sigh of relief. Sometimes, he forgets that Rin is an expert at riding bikes, considering that he has only seen her on it twice since meeting her. Yuzu seems visibly panicked, and somewhere in his heart, he wants nothing more than to protect her.

Why did he agree to this plan?

"Yuto, we're going to investigate that. You hear me, Rin?! Follow us!" his counterpart shouts over the wind.

"I'm right behind you!" she calls back. A sudden beep on their monitors catches their attention. They both press their screens, and Akaba Reiji's face glares back at them.

"You are to follow my instructions and go to the sector that I have assigned you. Kurosaki will handle that."

"You purposely let him rampage?!" Rin snaps back at him, her tone demanding.

"He is a distraction. Don't let his efforts go to waste."

Yuzu stares at her counterpart, placing her hand softly on her shoulder. "Let's do what he says, Rin," she softly urges. Rin only gives one last glare at Reiji and hangs up the call.

"Yugo, you heard him. Ignore that," she orders, her voice clipped.

"I know that! This way!"

…

The Professor is unamused.

As he stares at the monitor that depicts the two girls he has yet to captured, he muses over his son's actions.

" _Reiji...just what are you planning?"_

"Professor."

The sharp, deep voice of Serena cuts through his thoughts, and he swipes the screen to the left to face the girl. Another voice, one more taunting and slippery, echoes into the hall. Akaba Leo grimaces at the sound, suddenly aware who it is.

"Serena. Yuri." He holds the "yu" part a little too long, as if he has trouble spitting out the last syllable. "I'm sure you're aware of the situation and what your job is."

The blue-haired girl remains impassive, but Yuri only shrugs his shoulders and looks away with a smug smile.

"I'm sure you're smart enough to know that this is a clear trap. I mean, it takes almost all of Reiji's power to contain that falcon, and now he's free to attack our men. Quite a shift in plans right?"

The professor's face is as tight as Serena's. His next sentence comes out with a hidden bite.

"Must I remind you that you allowed our prisoner to contact them?"

"Ahh, indeed I did," Yuri offhandedly comments, crossing his arms as his smile grows. "But I tweaked her duel disk so that its location is untrackable. I also supervised her call so that she doesn't leak our plans, not like she knows anyway."

Serena smirks then, knowing that her counterparts are not to be trifled with. Rin and Yuzu already proved that to her, after all.

"Hmm, Serena?" the professor questions when he sees her expression change.

"Nothing, Professor. I will go retrieve them both, as requested. I would like to avoid Yuto and Yugo, so I'm counting on you, Yuri."

With a curt glare, Serena walks out of the room. Yuri looks back at the professor, dropping his smile.

"Why are you sending her to capture Yuzu and Rin? I can do that too."

"You definitely can, but you failed to capture Rin the first time. I'm simply trying a different approach."

"You know, I never understood what you plan to do with these girls. There's a lot of things that needs explaining, like why I share the same face with those fools, or why these bracelets have a link with these dragons."

"I want the power hidden in them for my goal. That is all."

"And what makes you think you can control it?"

"I have a plan. Do not question me any further."

Yuri lets out a sneer. He knows that Ruri is listening in on them; his dragon is pulsing through him, beating the same heartbeat. Before the professor can figure out, Yuri turns away and heads out the room.

…

Ruri's bracelet starts to dim down its purple glow. The paranoia that suffocates her threatens to send her down spiraling into darkness. She limps over to her bed and lays downs on it.

" _My counterparts are in danger again. Just what are they thinking, going around like that? Yuto and Yugo too. Why are they so reckless?"_

"Ruri, I'm afraid I must fight my copies again."

She sits up instantly at Yuri's voice. He stalks over to her and rubs her pale cheek, sending an undesired shiver down her spine.

"D-Don't hurt them...Rin, Yugo, Yuzu, Yuto. Please," she pleads in a quiet voice.

"The Professor's orders are absolute," the soldier chants back.

"But you don't even know what he wants! You heard him yourself. How can you listen to him?!"

Yuri, upon hearing this, pushes the girl down and climbs on top of her, glaring with the fury of a crazed beast. Ruri lets out an involuntary shriek, her eyes reflecting back unhinged fear. Tears streak down her cheeks, but Yuri ignores them.

"Listen, girl. You're causing a lot of trouble for me. I suggest you be careful about what you say from now on."

He attempts to pump even more terror into the girl, but he sees something else in her pink orbs. Her stare unnerves him, and he slightly staggers back.

"You poor thing. I think you are forced to do this against your will."

It was the look of pity, the one thing he hates the most.

…

"So we finally made it. What now?" Yugo asks, pulling the helmet off of his head. His hair remains just as pointy and unkempt as always, and Yuzu wonders just what is his secret. Yuto's head perks up suddenly and he pulls out a card from his deck box, slamming it down onto his D-pad.

"Phantom Knights Break Sword!"

A headless horseman appears before Yuto. Its ghastly wisp flickers as it brings its flat-tipped sword up to protect its master. A flicker of purple vines catches Yuzu's attention, and she gasps when a thin dragon adorned with glowing red and yellow orbs ambush the knight.

"Not using your dragon? I'm disappointed in you, counterpart."

"It's you!" shouts Yugo as he activates his own D-pad. Yuto's glare scans for its target, finding him on top of the building in front of them. Yuri simply stands there with his arms crossed, smirking down at his opponent. Yuto and Yugo suddenly feels their hearts convulsing. While Yuto only grasps his chest and breathes heavily, Yugo collapses on top of his motorcycle, squeezing his eyes shut at the pain. Their dragons roar in their heads, and their cards begin to glow, eager to join the fight. Yuzu's bracelet suddenly glows then, and the terrified girl, instead of thinking to teleport the boys away, wishes that she was never here.

"Y-Yuzu!" Rin calls, grabbing the girl's arm as she slowly disintegrates into a wave of pink particles. The green-haired counterpart gasps as she also starts to disappear. A second later, the only signs of them was a small speckle of pink dust.

"R-Rin!" Yugo wheezes out, attempting to sit up properly on his bike. Yuto never takes his eyes off of Yuri, but his growing aggravation intensifies his glare.

"What a shame. They ran away. And after all this effort of launching a sneak attack on you. Your reflexes are bothersome."

Academia's prized soldier continues to stare at his counterparts as his dragon retreats to his side. It lets out another roar and snaps its claws open, revealing a set of slimy teeth ready to chomp on its prey.

"Do you like my dragon? Someone very special gifted this to me," he mocks, opening his arms out. The realization hits the two of them fairly quickly, and Yuto dreads the answer to his next words.

"N-No, it can't be…"

"Oh, yes it is. Your beloved Ruri connected with me. You don't know how honored I felt when it happened. Cowering in fear, trying to hide her surprise as we were engulfed in a beautiful yellow light…"

"Don't screw with me!" Yuto shouts. His eyes slowly turns into that blankless shade of purple. He withdraws Break Sword and pulls out his glowing dragon. The sky darkens and the faint crackle of lightning flashes between them.

"RURI IS MINE!"

"This is bad. Yuto's going to go berserk again!" Yugo grimaces, staring at the dragon in his hand. Does he even have the strength to stop them both? He was lucky last time for sure, but now...

"DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON!"

A strong gust of wind pushes against Yugo and his motorcycle. A curtain of lightning is dropped as Yuto's sinister dragon descents. Yuri's smile only grows more twisted, but even he can't stop the sweat flowing down his cheek. Yugo, on the other hand, is unable to move from the pain he's feeling inside. Mustering all of his strength, he grabs his own dragon and slams it down on his motorcycle's D-pad, beginning the chant that would summon the awe-inspiring beast.

"CLEAR WING SYNCHRO DRAGON!"

Oh yes, Yuri thinks, the fun is only just beginning.

…

When Yuzu regains her bearing, she finds herself in a part of town she has never been before. The buildings are even more deserted; trash eagerly catches a ride with the few breezes that flies by. Rin grits her teeth at their situation and realizes that her bike did not accompany them. She is at least fortunate enough to learn the habit of always keeping her D-pad on her wrist.

"Yuzu, Rin. Come with me."

The two girls snap their heads up at the sound. They center in a lone girl staring down at them. Her face is the same as theirs, but her eyes are cold, unreadable.

"Serena!" Rin growls out, activating her D-pad. Yuzu continues to hold her gaze with the traitor, frowning when she attempts to read her facial expression.

" _So that's the traitor? Serena...another person with my face."_

"Yuzu, help me out here," commands Rin as she holds a card in her hand. Yuzu meekly agrees and allows the yellow bar of her D-pad to spawn. Serena also turns on her device, but a blue bordered sword acts as her summoning gate. Rin spits out her next words with the coldness of a blizzard.

"Prepare yourself, traitor. I refuse to lose here!"


	7. Arc 7: The Winter's Echoing Song

**Arc 7: The Winter's Echoing Song**

Yuzu stares at her counterparts with a timid gaze. The furious chill in Rin's eyes is unlike the girl's initial sweet personality. Her bracelet glows faintly, suggesting that she's expending a bit of her power over to her protector. Serena turns her eyes to Yuzu, and she flinches at the indifference fogging her green eyes. The Academia soldier, on the other hand, tries her best to keep up that image. She can never forget what this pink-haired girl have done for her, the lengths Yuzu had gone to save her.

It hurts Serena morally to fight against her savior.

She observes Yuzu for a second, noting that her counterpart shows no signs of recognition. That doesn't make sense. Out of all of the counterparts, Serena should be the one Yuzu knows the most. What happened to her?

"Winds of winter, snow, and ice," Rin begins to chant. The Academia soldier snaps out of her thoughts to turn her glare onto her green-haired twin. The same three green rings that heralded Clear Wing Synchro Dragon line themselves up behind the girl. A soft bell chime ushers in a breeze of snowy wind, and Yuzu starts to feel herself shiver.

" _What power. Rin is really amazing."_

"Become my power to blow everything away!"

The wind picks up speed, causing Yuzu to push her skirt down. She lets out a small squeal as a tornado of snow circulate around the green rings. Serena raises an arm up to shield herself, but she grits her teeth as the cold starts to get to her. Rin's eyes grows harder as she slams her hand down and completes her chant.

"Wind Witch- Winter Bell!"

The tornado of snow separates with force, revealing a strange blue creature. Its arms are reminiscent of plane wings, stuck to an eyeless face with a massive curved head. The body is a round, blue-green ball that connects the top half of the monster to a wing-shaped bottom. Winter Bell shakes its body a few times, releasing a chorus of systematic chimes.

"So that's your creature." Serena offhandedly clarifies. "I've never had the chance to fight it since the Resistance was adamant on not letting you out on the streets."

"That's right. With her, I'll freeze you solid and take you back with us," challenges Rin. The traitor smirks then.

"I would like to see you try. Behold, my monster."

An orange and blue portal opens behind Serena, the swirling colors forming a hypnotizing cycle. The girl clasps her hands together to create a fist and raises it above her head.

"The beautiful beast that dances in the moonlight," she simply chants. A clothed foot steps out from the portal, adorned with crescent moons and golden rings. A long blue skirt envelops the beast's feet, attached by thin, silky blue fabric. The rest of the beast springs forward, its eyes hidden by a pink and orange mask. A large royal blue headpiece decorates its beautiful magenta hair. The well-dressed cat equips two sharp daggers into her hands and does a short hip shake before posing next to Serena, who slams her fist down when the creature is fully summoned.

"Moonlight Cat Dancer!"

Yuzu, awe-struck at the dancer, lets out a quiet gasp. The sight is exotic to her, a majestic beast that looks capable of slashing Rin's bell-like monster to little pieces. She can sense her conviction to do her job, but there is no malice behind her stance, her stern frown. Serena truly is ready to fight them both for the sake of Academia.

The amnesiac does not know how to feel about that. Betrayal is certainly bad, but the way Serena holds herself indicates that she has no regrets over her choice. She really does not want to fight against such conviction. How can she, someone who've lost everything that defined her, possibly win against that?

Rin, on the other hand, remains impassive. Yes, she knows this monster very well. Serena only uses this if she's holding back, or if she believes her opponent isn't worth summoning her more powerful beasts.

"You must be pretty confident to only use Cat Dancer on the both of us," Rin calls out to her counterpart.

"She's enough for this job."

"You shouldn't underestimate me or Yuzu. Isn't that right?" Rin turns to the amnesiac, giving her a gentle smile. "Go ahead, Yuzu. Use that card that I gave you."

"Right," she replies back as she takes out the beautifully drawn card.

" _Now's not the time to hesitate. There are things that I have to do, and even though I may not know if I have the strength to fulfill them, I have to try!"_

"Channel your will into that card, and it will respond to you. The chant will come from inside. What is the reason you want to summon this monster?"

Yuzu nods once and closes her eyes, attempting to pour her heart's desires into the card. To regain her memories, to find Yuya, to help her friends…

To protect Yuto...and to win against oppression.

A blue and yellow portal similar to Serena's opens up above Yuzu. She folds her hands in front of her before swinging them up above to form a fist, still keeping her eyes closed. When she chants, her conviction rings throughout the narrow streets, shocking both of her counterparts.

" _What is this feeling? It's like I've done this before. And this power...it's calling out to me."_

Rin, for a moment, loses her composure.

" _Wait, it can't be. That summoning portal...it's almost the same as Serena's!"_

Serena, on the other hand, stares on with thinly veiled remorse.

" _From what I know, Yuzu never got her card back after she saved me. Does that mean that Rin found it somewhere? Or is this a new card?"_

She remembers very well what monster Yuzu had when she single-handedly held off the Academia forces pursuing them both. A small singer...yellow dress...big flowers attached to her shoulders.

" _ **I will fight with you!"**_

" _ **No! You have to save yourself! We've come so far...if you get captured again, it's all for nothing!"**_

" _ **Then what about you?!"**_

" _ **JUST RUN, SERENA!"**_

And of course, she remembers Yuzu's defiant cry after she urged her counterpart to run away.

" _ **I'll show you my radiance! Just try to get past me!"**_

"Now, come onto the stage! Sing your song of victory!"

A massive pink flower sprouts from the portal. The first layer opens up slowly, the petals blooming out one at a time in a circle. The smaller innermost layer flutters open, and a long scarf floats freely around. A blue-haired creature with a blue dress rests on top of the flower, summoning gentle breezes laced with pink petals. She lets out a few notes to test her voice before stretching her arms out, as if to embrace something.

"The Floral Melodious Saint, Bloom Diva!"

The wind blew softly now, flowing with delicate petals. It is warm against their cheeks; every light brush against their skin soothes them. Yuzu stands in front of her monster with a different fire in her eyes. One of familiarity, one of unwavering conviction.

"Beautiful…" Rin mutters.

Her Academia counterpart, too shocked to keep up her facade, takes an uneasy step backwards.

" _It's a different card...but what is this power that it radiates? It's incredible..."_

"What's wrong, Serena? Finally realizing that you can't beat us?" taunts her green-haired counterpart.

No, she thinks. Now is not the time to muse over karma. She is Academia's soldier, first and foremost, as much as that pains her.

"Cat Dancer, attack Bloom Diva! She's the easier target!"

The beautiful singer lets out a surprised gasp as the alluring dancer pounces towards her. Yuzu drops her confident act and starts to panic, covering her head out of reflex. A shadow looms over the frightened girl, and she looks up to see her monster standing in front of her, about to take the attack head-on.

A headache sparks then. The way her monster stand like this...she has seen it before. A memory flashes before her eyes: soldiers cornering the girl on top of a building, a fairy protecting her, the destruction of a card, bombardment after bombardment, almost like a hunting game…and then darkness.

"Bloom Diva!" she cries out.

Understanding the unspoken command, her singer opens her mouth and unleashes a vortex of flower petals around her and her master. Serena's monster tries to push its way into the storm, but it is quickly swept back, and it lands next to her master, visibly pained. Yuzu stares at Bloom Diva for a while, and the singer gives her a gentle smile.

" _It's different from back then...stronger, and less fragile,"_ Serena thinks. Before she could refocus on the battle, she sees Winter Bell launch an array of ice spears at her.

"Are you taking this seriously, traitor? Has Academia softened your battle skills?" Rin taunts, which causes Serena to grit her teeth. Both monster and person leap out of her attack, and Serena barks out her next strike, aiming for Winter Bell instead. Rin hops on her monster's tail and flies up with it as it dodges the cat's swipe.

"Winter Bell, attack!"

It shakes its bell-shaped body, the lining etched onto its form glowing a sparkling blue. A blast of icy wind rushes towards the dancer, pelting her skin with bullets of ice. The floor is littered with petals and snow, creating a white field that attempts to scale the nearby buildings. Cat Dancer retreats for a brief moment before launching herself into a kick that connects with the belly of Winter Bell. The collision pushes Winter Bell back as Rin struggles to regain her balance on it. Both girls glare at each other, refusing to back down.

"Surrender!" Serena shouts as Cat Dancer unclips the crescent shaped ornament from its chest and tosses it at the bell monster.

"Never!" retorts Rin. She moves as one with Winter Bell to dodge the boomerang, and when it comes back around for a second attack, Winter Bell turns to face the incoming projectile, preparing to dodge.

"Now!" Academia's soldier commands, and an expert swipe of her blades collides with the thin neck of Rin's monster. A part of its attack hits Rin, sending her slamming against the wall of a lonely building.

"Rin!" cries out the amnesiac as Rin slowly picks herself up. Winter Bell tries to recover and stand next to its master, but Cat Dancer is keeping a fast rhythm of kicks and slashes to occupy its attention. Her counterpart grits her teeth, annoyed that the tables have turned on her. Desperate to help but unable to figure out how without jeopardizing Rin's position, Yuzu runs over to the battling monsters.

"Yuzu! Stay back!"

She continues to run over to them. Inhaling a deep breath, Yuzu shouts with every ounce of distress and fear and muted determination that she can muster.

"STOP!"

Bloom Diva follows through with Yuzu's shout, summoning an eruption of flowers and wind to engulf both of the battling monsters. Winter Bell, too weakened by the attacks it has taken, disappears from the battlefield. Cat Dancer, on the other hand, rebounds back to Serena after taking major damage. Its moon-shaped ornament disperses into yellow particles, and the purple section of its mask cracks off, revealing purple flesh underneath.

"Tsk…" Serena fails to hold back her annoyance.

"Yuzu, defeat her. I'm counting on you," Rin sputters out, leaning against the wall she crashed into. Her counterpart slowly nods to acknowledge her intentions to do so. Yuzu turns to the traitor.

"Serena, why are we fighting? I don't want to fight my counterpart!"

" _I do not want to fight you either, Yuzu. But if I don't...I'll never find Yuya, and I'll lose the only chance we have."_

"Just because you don't want to fight me," she responds instead, "doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

A tentative step back. Another flashback sparks in her mind. Sporadic images of her moving back, surrounded by a horde of soldiers. One step, two steps...until she can no longer feel the floor. She was falling, falling. Screaming. Trapped by the illusion of her memories, Yuzu lands onto her back. Bloom Diva quickly moves to guard her master.

"What's wrong? Stand up and fight me, Yuzu!" Serena barks out.

The way she shouts her name...it pounds into Yuzu's ears. This time, a clear distinct memory returns home. She has growled out at her before.

" _ **YUZU!"**_

" _ **It's over, Serena. Now you must abide by my terms."**_

" _ **Never...Academia is righteous."**_

" _ **But Serena, what Academia is doing is wrong. They're turning people into cards and burning them for sick reasons. Does that sound like something righteous to do?!"**_

" _ **..."**_

" _ **Come with me, Serena. Come and see for yourself what's really happening."**_

"That's right..." the pig-tailed girl slowly says, lifting her head to stare defiantly at Serena. "You're not the person to back down so easily." Bloom Diva spreads her arms out again as Yuzu continues to talk.

"The power to protect what's dear to me...I did lose it before. Sometime in the past, I once battled against you. I have tried to save you. I feel like I do not regret that decision, but that doesn't change the fact that you've harmed a friend. And for that, I will not stand idly!" Bloom Diva smiles gently at her master and prepares her attack at the dancer.

"I'll show you part of the radiance that I hope to reclaim someday! Bloom Diva, Reflect Shout!"

Bloom Diva takes another deep breath and let loose a bigger, fiercer whirlwind of wind and flowers that crashes into Cat Dancer. It lets out a strangled hiss as it begins to disintegrate into a pool of yellow sparkles. Her two counterparts stare on in awe. Even if Cat Dancer is the weakest of Serena's monsters, it usually takes Rin more than five blows before it starts to slow down. With Yuzu, it only took three, and two of them aren't even hitting Cat Dancer with Yuzu's full conviction.

"I-I did it!" she cheers as the last of the yellow sparkles mingle with the wind. Rin is lost in her thoughts, the pounding of her heart echoing in her ears.

" _Why? Back then...and even now. What have I accomplished? Did I even accomplish anything useful? Yuzu can defeat Serena easily, while it takes me everything to make a dent in her attacks. Why, why?!"_

Serena could only let out muted sputters as her card dejectedly floats back into her pocket. She reaches for her more powerful beast when she receives a message from Akaba Leo.

"Head over to Yuri's location! The dragons are spiraling out of control!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

She lets out an annoyed spat and turns her back from her counterparts. Why can't she do anything right? Moreover, she is extremely hesitant on helping Yuri. What happened to his boast about being able to handle both of his counterparts?

"I'll settle this another day," she finally says.

Leaping onto the nearby building, Serena ignores the cry of Rin's voice calling for her to come back. She tries to run after her, but the weight of her wounded arm brings her down onto the white battlefield.

"Let's go, Yuzu! We need to chase her!"

"No, you're hurt. We have to head back to our base."

Rin cannot hold back her tears anymore. She collapses onto the snow-covered floor and weeps over her powerlessness.

…

Ruri paces across her tiny room, lost in her thoughts. She cannot help but recall what she saw when she was trying to escape.

" _It can't be...if that's really that person...then all this time…!"_

There is no better time to investigate. She wonders if she should attempt to search around again. There's no doubt that there are few guards around to watch over her. There also has to be cameras around here that are monitoring the entire floor. Is that how the guards caught on so quickly last time?

The trapped bird grimaces at her past mistake. In the midst of her emotional rush to escape, she completely forgot that Academia isn't ignorant at all. They plan to take over Heartland after all.

She shares a long glance with her D-pad. Her card must still be in here, and she hesitantly commands her device to open the compartment that houses her card. Sure enough, it is still there, albeit a bit pressed and cold to the touch.

" _This time...I can defend myself."_

Turning the knob open, Ruri does a quick scan of the hallway before following the path she had taken before. Each turn, every wall looks and feels familiar. Shun has always told her that she had an innate ability to be able to remember where she's been. Thinking of her brother made her smile, wondering if her message comes through and gets him to cooperate with the Resistance more.

She finally reaches the suspected room. Her breath comes out in short, light pants, but she ignores the burn in her lungs. Ruri reaches for the door, but finds a keypad resting on top of the knob. It taunts her, but she merely turns towards the uncovered window that allowed her to revel in the secret that it guards.

A lone capsule, glowing with the color of ominous green, stands connected to a web of cords of various sizes. The ends of those cords attach themselves to a single monitor, which Ruri almost missed if it wasn't for the light from the tank. She refocuses her attention to the person trapped inside the capsule. His eyes are closed, and his body is lean, suggesting that he's in stasis. His two-toned hair gently bobs up and down, pushing against his star-covered goggles. He's not smiling, instead having a peaceful frown etched on his face.

" _Sakaki Yuya…"_ Ruri thinks.


	8. Arc 8: A Flock of Birds

**Arc 8: A Flock of Birds**

" _Sakaki Yuya."_

The purple-haired girl can't move. The Resistance's savior has been trapped here all this time? When did this happen? She glances at the tube containing the sleeping boy, frustrated that he's so close within her reach. She has to break him free. If she does, then he can help her escape.

"Hey, what are you doing down here?!"

Sharply gasping at the voice, Ruri quickly turns around to see three soldiers, two on her left and one on her right, glaring at her. Instinctively, she brings her left arm up, flashing the D-pad that she possesses. The soldiers flinch at the device.

"W-wait, you're that girl that Yuri's guarding. So, you've decided to escape again. Why can't you stay in your room?"

"Never! I'm going to break out with Yuya and stop you guys!"

They laugh mockingly at her claim. "Sorry, girl, but you're trapped underground in a heavily guarded facility. And you want to take our valuable prisoner as well? Nice one." They activate their D-pads and pull out one card each. When Ruri sees the picture on the sheet of paper, she instinctively steps back in fear.

"Now, are you going to come quietly?"

She can't surrender now. The key to turning this rebellion around is right in front of her, and as a member of the Resistance, she would rather be damned than let this chance go. "Sorry, but I will escape and take back my home."

She opens the compartment in her D-pad, searching for her card. Flicking it out, the maiden begins to chant.

"Birds with beautiful wings. Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight!"

In the cramped and tiny hallway of Academia's underground facility, a swirling galaxy opens up in front of Ruri. A pillar of white light erupts to the ceiling, temporarily blinding the masked soldiers.

"Dance in the sky! Lyrical Luscinia-Assembly Nightingale!"

A beautiful bird-like woman emerges from the portal, wearing a dark blue cap with a beak. In place of her hands are white and blue wings that are by her sides. An elegant skirt of feathers is wrapped around her waist that reveals a pair of bird feet. The creature stares down at the soldiers as Ruri returns the same expression.

"I won't hesitate against you all! Now come! Summon your monsters! I will strike them all down!"

…

All three of the boys are berserk.

The fight had already started off in a horrible way. Yuto, having been consumed by his anger, is recklessly commanding his dragon to attack Yuri himself, but of course, Yuri's dragon is there to protect him with a flick of his vine-like whip.

"Ah, he's like a beast. So predictable and savage."

"S-Shut up, ya sicko," Yugo chokes out, still struggling with the effects of the dragons' howling. It is getting increasingly harder to wipe away the pain. The boy knows then that Rin is fighting elsewhere and therefore cannot expend any of her power over to him. What a mess. With gritted teeth, he commands his dragon to block both Yuto's attacks and Yuri's dragon. It roars obediently and flies in between Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon and Starve Venom Fusion Dragon. Grabbing the dark dragon's claws in an attempt to push it back, Clear Wing growls out in pain as several slaps from a thorny whip snaps against its back. Yuri, clutching his stomach, laughs hysterically as he observes the futile attempts of his counterpart.

"Y-You're even more stupid than the eggplant over there! Do you think I'll let you interfere with my entertainment?!" Yuri howled again in gleeful joy, commanding his dragon to go in and take advantage of the situation. Sweat flows down the Academia slave as he laughs, almost in an orgasmic daze. Starve Venom unleashes a multitude of vines, which wraps around the bodies of the enemy dragons, and flips them both down to the ground.

Yugo gasps and leans over his motorcycle, feeling the same pain as his beloved dragon. Yuto seems unaffected, for he only snarls at Yuri and orders his dragon to stand up, to fight again. "Give...HER BACK!" he growls animalistically, which his dragon reciprocates. The screeching howl prompts the other dragons to release their own wails, shaking the city. And when the sound finally disappears, so did the consciousness of the counterparts.

"GIVE HER BACK!" they all roar over the thundering flashes surrounding them. 

…

"Rin…" Yuzu mutters out as she helps the wounded girl onto her feet. Rin opens her D-pad and contacts Reiji to update him on the situation.

"I see," replies the indifferent leader. Rin grits her teeth at the pain she's experiencing, sneering at the gray-haired man. "You have done your job. Come back to base, you two."

"Wait, how about Yuto and Yugo? And Serena? We didn't capture Serena!" Despite Yuzu's panicked tone, his small, thoughtful frown doesn't leave his face. "The main objective wasn't Serena. Her stance was made clear to the Resistance when she betrayed us." His words cut deep and true, and both girls stay silent.

"I trust that the boys can take care of each other. Besides, your condition," Reiji points out, gesturing to Rin's injuries, "will not help you. Come back as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir," they both say. The screen goes blank, and Rin heaves a heavy sigh, the white puff of condensed air dissipating just as quickly as it formed.

"I don't think I'm in any condition to drive us back, Yuzu."

"What do we do then? Can we get someone to come pick us up?"

"I can try, but I don't remember anyone's ID off the top of my head other than Yuto's and Yugo's. We shouldn't bother them though."

Yuzu eyes Rin's motorcycle hesitantly. Maybe if...but can she even pull it off? The green-haired medic follows her gaze, perking up at the untold suggestion. A sneaky smirk crawls its way onto Rin's face, marred by a border of pain.

"Yuzu…"

"R-Rin?"

"Do you want to take this for a spin?"

"E-Eh?!"

…

"Assembly Nightingale, blow them away!" Another sharp gust pushes the giant mechanical dogs back against the wall. The soldiers scream again as the wind pierces their bodies. Ruri stands over their fallen bodies with a battle-hardened frown.

"Enough of this. Surrender and give me the code to open that door." Her normally sweet and kind voice is defiant and harsh. The soldiers all struggle to stand up, to continue fighting, but their bodies refuse to move. Their monsters howl in pain before disappearing in a flash of yellow particles.

"N-Never! W-We would rather become sacrifices! Alert the others! For Academia!"

"For Academia!"

Their hands move to their D-pad, and Ruri realizes too late what they are trying to do. "No, stop!" A bright purple flash blinds her, and the screams of the soldiers flood her ears momentarily before turning silent. And in place of her opponents, three lonely cards fall to the ground.

Ruri is horrified. How can they...throw away their lives like that? Slowly, tentatively, the raven-haired girl slumps to the floor, grasping the cards in her trembling hands. She holds them close to her chest.

Assembly Nightingale floats next to her master. Ruri only spends a few seconds more staring at the cards, with their depictions of the terrified faces of the soldiers, before standing up to glance at the door holding her back from Sakaki Yuya.

She can hear footsteps above her. It won't be long before she is surrounded by more guards. _"I should contact Akaba Reiji. Maybe he can help me hack into the door."_

Following her thoughts, she opens communications with her leader, but she finds that her D-pad is not able to call anyone. Ruri lets out an annoyed huff. _"Yuri must have tweaked it just in case. Makes sense, since he doesn't trust me to stay still."_

Her monster continues to eye her master, awaiting her next orders. Ruri smiles and dismisses her, placing the four cards in her hand into the compartment in her D-pad.

" _I think I've done enough for today. I'm going to head back to my room and pretend I didn't see anything."_

She can only hope she can lie her way out of Yuri's interrogation if it gets to that point.

…

"What the…?" Shun mutters, wiping his navy blue coat as he walks away from the pile of Academia soldiers he had just defeated. He can see the dragons rampaging through the city; the storm of lightning and thorny vines is like a flailing monstrous flower taking root in the decimated buildings.

A rush of wind and a flash of blue attract his attention.

"Wait, traitor!" he calls out. Turning to Shun with obvious frustration, Serena surprises him with desperate but guarded eyes. "I don't have time to deal with you! I need to stop them from destroying the city!"

She jumps off to the next rooftop, but Shun is fresh on her trail. He shouts over the wind.

"Why do you care if this city gets destroyed?!"

"That's none of your business."

"I have a right to know, traitor! Come, Rise Falcon! We're going to capture her!"

"Tch...I'll say it again. Leave me alone, Kurosaki!"

Rise Falcon is already following overhead, its talons ready to snatch the girl. Determined to not get caught, Serena leaps off the apartment. The sharp claws of Shun's monster barely graze her shoulder, leaving behind a streak of open flesh that pours blood onto her red uniform. She grits her teeth, for the attack hurts more than she is willing to show.

There is no other choice. She must fight him.

The falcon flies down again, but Serena rolls to her right and pulls out a card. She begins her chant in a rushed tone.

"Supple beast that dances through moonlit fields! Moonlight Panther Dancer!"

The portal spawns a darkly-skinned beast whose eyes are covered by her olive green hair. Like her other monster, ringlets surround her wrists, jingling in the cloudy sky. Her purple top is designed like a corset, with a pink veil for a skirt. The red claws perturbing from her knuckles are more menacing than Cat Dancer's daggers.

Upon summoning her beast, however, Serena drops to the floor. A red screen materializes in front of her, signaling the fragile situation that she's in. Her breathing starts to hitch. The blood flowing from her shoulder is pouring out faster.

Shun, however, does not soften his glare. Even with her weakened state, Serena is able to climb back onto her two feet, snarling with the same fierce expression as her monster.

"Tear her dancer to shreds, Rise Falcon!"

The falcon squawks and crashes into the beast, instantly vaporizing it into a storm of particles. Serena coughs up a mouthful of blood. The red screen on her D-pad blares brighter and louder, but she can hardly keep her eyes awake.

"W-Wait...what's happening?" Shun mutters in horror, his face contorting in disgust.

The traitor collapses onto the ground, a river of blood flowing from her mouth. Shun recalls his monster and stares at her with conflicting emotions.

" _What is going on? I've never seen side effects like those before."_ He hesitates for a moment as a series of flashbacks of her standing off to the side as the rest of the Resistance discuss war plans, of her constantly having a distressed frown like something is always bothering her.

" _It doesn't matter though."_

He shoves aside those memories long gone and whips out a dagger from his coat pocket. She is a traitor. Fellow men working for freedom, gone by her deceit. He will avenge them and countless others whose lives have either ended or turned into a nightmare.

So why is his hand shaking? Why is his body trembling? Why is he using his other arm to steady himself for the kill? It must be because he's used to turning people into cards rather than directly taking their lives. That's what he keeps repeating to himself as the knife slowly plunges down.

Why is he ending her life this way instead of activating his D-pad? At this moment, his mind cannot answer.

But he sees a brief flash, a glimpse, of his beloved sister, defenseless, alone, lifeless, in her place, and that drives the knife to fall faster.

He hits something, but he cannot catch it over the blind rage clogging his eyes. The thing grunts in pain, but it picks the unconscious girl up and leaps into an abandoned building. Shun glares at the retreating figures and is about to dash forward to chase them when his D-pad goes off. At first, he ignores the call and continues his pursuit, but once Academia's headquarters is in sight and is towering over the buildings he's leaping onto, Shun grits his teeth and answers the line.

"Kurosaki, I want a report." Reiji observes him from the sheen of his red-framed glasses. Instead of snapping at him, he merely obliges. "I was about to apprehend the traitor, but an unknown figure snatched her away. As for the main battle, it is escalating too quickly. If we let it grow anymore, the entire city will be leveled."

"I see. Where are you at the moment?"

"...Near Academia's main base. I was chasing the traitor down, and I might have stumbled a bit farther than I would have liked."

"Well, good thing I stopped you in time." He talks as if he knows that statement isn't true. "Retreat for now. The mission is a failure, but we can learn something from this battle."

"What exactly was the objective?"

"It was to capture Yuri, but it seems that the powers Yuto and Yugo hold are too much for them to handle. You have done your job well, though."

"How about them? They're rampaging through the city!"

"Don't worry. I know that a certain someone is going there to stop them."

…

"Faster, Yuzu!"

"I am going as fast as I can!" the pink-haired girl whines out. As the two shakily make their way back to the base, the evidence of the raging battle between the roaring dragons steadily gorging itself into the crumbling brick walls. Yuzu shrieks and slows down when a pile of broken concrete blocks her way. Rin grabs the handles to steer the bike, yet once they maneuver onto a fairly empty street, the green-haired girl clutches her shoulder and sits back.

"Rin…"

"I'm fine. I've endured worse. Still, I don't want to put us in danger if I drive, so hang in there."

"R-Right…"

Another roar from Clear Wing made to the trembling skies makes them look up, their mouths open wide. "We have to help them!" Yuzu exclaims, turning the motorcycle in the opposite direction of the base.

"Yuzu, we can't disobey orders!"

"But I know we can stop them! My bracelet did it last time!"

Rin flashes an apprehensive frown. Her bracelet shines against the dull colors of the city, the jade in the middle of the thick band blinking slightly. She hears something in her head, an array of random thoughts that makes her sweat and her heart pound.

" _Rin...please help me. No, don't come here. Don't look at me."_

She bites her lips until she pierces the flesh. Her front fang digs into the side of her mouth, irritating the skin. The color of her eyes crispens; the soft amber hardens to scaly orange.

"Let's go, then."

"Rin?" Yuzu questions, turning back to cast a worried look. She sharply snaps back, "Don't take your eyes off the road."

"A-Ack! Sorry!"

It doesn't take them too long to reach the chaotic battle. The three boys seem satisfied to attack each other within a small space, but from what the entangling thorns making itself at home in the buildings and holes dotting the streets are showing, the battle will expand at a blink of an eye if nothing comes to stop them. 

A shadow darkens the sky, shielding the girls from the dim sun. The building a few feet away crumbles to dust as Dark Rebellion bashes through, sending a figure crashing onto the brittle street. The smoke clears slowly, revealing Yugo with bright green eyes, blind to the presence of the two twins. Clear Wing follows suit, tackling Yuri's dragon into Dark Rebellion.

"T-They're possessed just like Yuto…"

"Yuzu, hurry! Make that bracelet work!" Rin commands with an edge of hostility. The pink-haired amnesiac incredulously gasps at her tone. Her heart spirals into confusion and terror, just like her first few moments with Yuto. Many things drive her thoughts as she clasps her hands together and prays for the fighting to stop. She doesn't know though what actually drives her to end their suffering.

The pink light from her bracelet intensifies. Yugo glances back to them and lets out a sound that can only be described as a mix between a human growl and a monster's roar. The painful sound pierces Rin, and for the first time, her childhood friend frightens her. She shrinks back, her legs knocking against each other.

" _No, Rin, please! It's just me, Yugo!"_

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" she screams. Yuzu swears she hears the possessed boy suck in air and sees his eyes soften from shock. Her bracelet's power engulfs the scene, blinding all three of them. When the moment disappears, all three boys are gone.

Unable to sustain her weight any longer, Rin's legs collapse and sends her to the crumbled streets. Yuzu steps forward to attempt comforting her, but she knows too little. Her words will anger Rin even more. The green-haired girl stares at the ground in blatant disbelief, with only the roar of her heartbeat serving as the indication of her guilt.


End file.
